Rui Rangel, the former judge who will be tried for corruption in Operation Lex, admits that he was assisted by his ex-wife Fatima Galante, then a judge, and his then girlfriend Bruna Amaral in reviewing the decisions that convicted him. He was a rapporteur at the Lisbon Court of Appeal. However, he claims that the defendants only helped him format and edit the texts. The prosecution claims that the defendants played a decisive role in the decision.
NOW had exclusive access to the complaint filed against Rui Rangel’s defence, which has already been submitted to the Supreme Court. In the 40-page document, Rangel insists that the trial is a conspiracy against him. Luis Filipe Vieira will also be tried for offering a judge Benfica tickets in exchange for the magistrate’s alleged influence in unblocking a case pending before the Sintra Tax Court.
Rangel says he received the invitations because he was a candidate for the club’s presidency, “a highly respected person at Benfica and a keen supporter.” A The State Ministry’s indictment alleges that Rangel took advantage of Vieira’s request for help to benefit from additional perks associated with Benfica, namely tickets to the presidential box and trips abroad to see the team.