Ricardo Salgado and six others charged in new corruption investigation

Portugal’s Public Prosecutor’s Office has charged former BES (Banco Espírito Santo) banker Ricardo Salgado with corruption and money laundering in the case of the Espírito Santo Group’s (GES) links to Venezuela, in an indictment that extends to six other defendants. According to the indictment, published by Observador, the former chairman of GES is charged with 20 offences of active corruption to the detriment of international trade and 21 offences of money laundering, in co-authorship with five other defendants. The only reason he is not charged with criminal association in this case is because he has already been charged with this offence in the main Espírito Santo Universe case, writes Lusa. Mr Salgado is currently on trial over another case of alleged corruption, and said to be suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s disease.