Disgraced banker, Ricardo Salgado, is formally to be charged with paying €500,000 to the then Minister of the Economy, Manuel Pinho.
The payment was in return for giving EDP cushy tax benefits of €1.2 billion, granted to the electricity company by the government when Pinho was a Minister.
Grupo Espírito Santo was shareholder in EDP and benefitted from the lax tax treatment.
Manuel Pinho received €1 million from Grupo Espírito Santo between 2006 and 2012, according to the Public Prosecutor, who suspects that Ricardo Salgado ordered the transfer of €500,000 to an offshore account controlled by Manuel Pinho.
The first tranche was transferred while Pinho was a Minister and the second €500,000 was sent after he had left government.
Also involved in this new case is António Mexia, EDP’s current chief executive.
Ricardo Salgado already is accused in the Monte Branco, Universo Espírito Santo and Operation Marquês cases.
