TV presenter Ana Lucia Matos detained as part of mega operation PJ, nscheme to evade paying taxes through a carousel of shell companies, appeared before a judge in the Criminal Investigation Court of Porto this Thursday and denied any involvement in the criminal network.
The presenter says that she does not know about the scheme, and showed that she does not understand issues related to VAT. Under interrogation, Ana Lucia Matos said that her husband told her that he was making risky investments, but did not know exactly what he was talking about. The model also turned to the judge that she is a mother and has two children.
Unlike Ana Lucia Matos, her husband Max, accused of being the ringleader of the scheme, refused to testify. Only one of the detainees is to be heard before the enforcement measures, which are expected to be revealed on Sunday or Monday, are known.
The group, detained on Tuesday by Porto’s judicial police, has been active since at least 2016 and has always managed to cover up crimes. Fraud has spread to more than 30 countries and reached 2.2 billion euros. At stake is a tax evasion scheme involving the sale of mobile phones and electronic devices.
Author: Ana Isabelle Fonseca
Source: CM Jornal
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