Former multi-millionaire and current fugitive from justice, Duarte Lima, still wanted for trial in Brazil for the murder of Rosalina Ribeiro, has lodged a petition to avoid bankruptcy using the Special Revitalisation Process, or PER.
Lima wants to negotiate his debts with Novo Banco, BES and the state holding company, Parvalorem, among others.
The former Social Democrat politician has listed six creditors including ‘bad bank’ Banco Espírito Santo, itself in administration.
On November 12th, 2015 a provisional liquidator was selected, according to documents now listed on the Citius legal website.
Silverio dos Santos has been appointed to sort out Lima’s finances. The petitioner now is prevented from many financial activities without the expressed permission of this administrator.
Anyone else to whom Lima owes money has a 20-day period within which to lodge a claim. MEO has been quick off the mark and has lodged a claim for €209 in outstanding invoices.
The reason for a €10.9 million debt to Novo Banco remains a mystery but the Parvalorem debt of €20.7 million is easy to explain as it the state holding company is in charge of the assets of bust bank BPN where Lima was convicted of money laundering and aggravated fraud in the Homeland case. Lima was ordered to compensate Parvalorem but has failed to settle the debt.
Information disclosed under the PER, lists goods already seized from the former MP including two C16th paintings, entitled "La déposition de la croix" and "Vierge à l'enfant".
Also pledged but not delivered to the authorities, are several Chinese porcelain pieces from the C18th. These include "a pair of Chinese porcelain figures, decorated with enamel, representing two standing ladies" estimated date 1780.
Lima lodged an appeal to challenge the court decision that he should spend ten years in jail.
Duarte Lima still owes money to José Manuel Ferreira Bento dos Santos relating to the Quinta Monte d’Oiro vineyard, also to Décia Cercas de Jesus Bento dos Santos. José António Vieira Silvério, a construction magnate, also is listed but no sums are noted against each name.
Despite the murder charge in Brazil, and the serious sentence in Portugal which he appealed against 21 months ago, lawyer Duarte Lima is free but may not travel abroad.
Also in February 2014, the Attorney General's Office in Portugal received a request from the Brazilian judiciary for assistance in investigating the murder of Rosalina Ribeiro, Lima's former client.
Ribeiro was killed with two gunshots in December 2009 after allegedly refusing to sign a document diverting millions to Lima from the deceased millionaire Lúcio Thomé Feteira.
Duarte Lima is well known and well connected in Portugal as he is a former MP, a lawyer and was vice president of the National Policy Committee of the PSD between 1989 and 1991, chairing its parliamentary group between 1991 and 1994.
Why his appeal has taken nearly two years to be heard remains a mystery but Lima's PSD connections may have been at play. This cover soon may be removed if a socialsist government is appointed in the next day or so.
If Lima's debts are large, and they are expected to be, and he loses his appeal to stay out of jail in Portugal, Lima's earning power will collapse and the cold hand of bankruptcy will beckon.
In the background there is still the Brazlian murder charge, but few weep for Lima's plight.
