In a bizarre quirk of Portuguese justice, convicted scrap metal dealer Manuel Godinho is described today as “regularly travelling between Portugal and Brazil” as he builds up a new business empire. Godinho was convicted to 17-and-a-half years behind bars last September for his part in Portugal’s “longest and most expensive” corruption investigation, dubbed Face Oculta.
However, his lawyer Paula Godinho says he has no intention of moving permanently to Brazil.
Lawyer Godinho, who is not related to convicted felon Godinho, is now representing the Ovar businessman in a new trial alleging corruption in Aveiro this week.
Talking to Correio da Manhã, Godinho said her client has “interiorised” the prison sentence handed out nine months ago and is “remaking his economic and business life” while awaiting the result of his appeal.
“Paula Godinho refuted any possibility that her client could try and evade Portuguese justice,” CM adds.
Godinho, dubbed the scrap-metal king of Ovar in the tortuous Face Oculta investigation, is accused of having bribed a REFER official.
In the Face Oculta trial, he was found guilty of the crimes of criminal association, active corruption, trafficking of influences, qualified fraud, qualified theft and for “perturbing public tendering”.
In this latest case, Godinho has thus far remained “silent, refusing to make any declarations”, writes CM.
Meanwhile, Godinho the lawyer has told reporters she is challenging the case on a number of “strange points” relating to amounts of money involved.
