A company owned by the defunct Banco Espírito Santo and members of ‘the clan’ including Ricardo Salgado, successfully promoted tax evasion schemes to many client companies.
The public prosecutor’s indictment against Empresa de Serviços e Consultoria S. A. (ESGER) names several managers and customers as part of Operation Furaçao.
Both Starbucks and Fiat have been ordered to pay between €20 million and €30 million in tax.
A probe by the European Commission found that Starbucks and Fiat had had “unduly reduced” tax bills and “unfair competitive advantage” in the Netherlands and Luxembourg respectively, the competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said.
With fewer rollovers leading to enormous jackpots in the EuroMillions lottery, British punters have shown less interest.
Camelot UK said that ticket sales fell in the six months to the end of September, bringing in £717 million for the period.
An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.4 on the Richter scale shuddered across the mid-western Algarve this morning causing the evacuation of an elementary school in Silves.
The Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere reported that the earthquake was recorded at 09:39 hrs with an epicenter about five kilometres west-northwest of the city of Silves.
Two policemen were arrested last week for accepting bribes from drivers of vehicles which then were guaranteed to pass the annual safety inspection.
For €75 euros per car, the policemen arranged for the cars to pass the roadworthiness test and furthermore guaranteed that the driver would not be stopped at subsequent roadside police inspections.
Last year more than 2.3 million first residence permits were issued altogether by countries in the European Union to people who were not EU citizens
The statistics cover permits issued to a person for the first time and include both short-term and long-term permits.
The Court of Auditors has been analysing Portugal’s long list of recklessly expensive and poor value Public-private Partnerships that are financing road contracts and has concluded that they leave the taxpayer exposed to limitless liabilities.
More formally, the auditors ‘admit the possibility that the State is likely to have an increased burden’ especially with the major road repairs needed on the Silver Coast motorway which the taxpayer must pay for.
The current coalition leader, Prime Minister Passos Coelho met the President of the Republic today and after a half hour session told reporters that for reasons of stability, he fully expects to be reappointed.
Passos Coelho said it was essential that he was appointed quickly as the current political hiatus is no good for anyone.
