Xiaodong Wang, a Chinese national, recently granted a Golden Visa allowing Portuguese residency and unrestricted travel within Europe, is wanted in China for fraud and money laundering, money that he has used to buy a house in Portugal.
The Judicial Police arrested Wang to whom the Portuguese state recently had granted a residence permit under the Golden Visas scheme to attract foreign investment. Portugal already has awarded 542 gold visas to foreigners
The arrested man has been in Portugal since the end of last year having purchased a luxury home in Cascais which gave him the right to a residence permit and taxation benefits.
Despite the allegedly stringent controls to prevent criminals successfully applying for Golden Visas it turns out that Xiaodong Wang was on the Interpol wanted list and that there was a warrant out for his arrest.
The Chinese are seeking the 40-year old’s extradition and as a first step he was taken to the Court of Appeal of Lisbon for questioning.
Portugal's Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action had the man on its list of those wanted for financial crimes but still Wang was allowed a Golden Visa with its accompanying benefits.
If the man was able successfully to apply for and receive a Golden Visa when there was an arrest warrant issued for his detention this will be a huge embarrassment to the Portuguese government which frequently has assured the public that controls are in place to stop just this sort of abuse.
Deputy Prime Minister Paulo Portas says he has declined 11 Golden Visa applications in the first year of the scheme and that the detention of the Chinese citizen wanted by Interpol proved that the safety net was doubly safe.
The fact that this man had a residence permit allowed the police authorities, in collaboration with the SEF, to locate and arrest him within a few hours," said Portas.
The Aliens and Borders Service claimed that there was no arrest warrant issued when Xiaodong Wang applied for, and was granted, the Golden Visa.
