José Miguel Judice assured in the latest issue of Express “have never been an offshore”, but the well-known lawyer assumed a central role in two companies of this type that are controlled by John Rendeiro in the United States America, Penn Plaza Management LLC and Corbes Group LLC as evidence a document that the Express had access.
A letter from John Rendeiro to PLMJ, addressed to José Miguel Judice, dated January 1, 2009, certifies that the former president of Banco Portuguese Private (BPP) took “irrevocably and without reserves the obligation to pay and / or refund for you, or by any entity or company which is the beneficial owner of any amounts that may be required, whether any capacity, Dr. José Miguel Judice Alarcão while legal representative of the company Corbes Group LLC and Penn Plaza Management LLC. ”
The letter John Rendeiro the Júdice explains that “are included in the scope of the compensation obligation or refund all expenses incurred or that Dr. José Miguel Judice Alarcão is obliged to incur in order to defend their interests, including attorneys’ fees, experts, court costs, fines, fees or other charges, as well as all types of costs associated with the issuance and maintenance of any bank guarantees necessary for his defense. ”
Documents of Panama Papers, that the Express and TVI had access to the International Consortium Partner Investigative Journalists (ICIJ its acronym in English), have revealed that in 2007 the name of Júdice consisted of database Mossack Fonseca as responsible with power of attorney to represent the Penn Plaza, along with several directors of BPP (the name of Rendeiro did not arise in those documents).
The Penn Plaza is an offshore originally established in the British Virgin Islands in 1997 by Gestar, the Espírito Santo Group (GES), and in December 2003 was transferred to Nevada (in the United States) . In between, in 1998, Penn Plaza purchased the lot 80 of the Quinta Patiño, in Cascais, a plot of half a hectare where several years ago John Rendeiro have the garden of your home. The villa of former banker occupies the lot 81 of the same Quinta Patiño, which is owned by another offshore, the Corbes Group LLC (based in the tax haven of Delaware, also in the US). Both properties were seized by the courts, which assigns Rendeiro effective control of Penn Plaza and the Corbes Group.
But the version that José Miguel Judice account in this story is different. Asked by Express to confirm the authorization as a legal representative of Penn Plaza and Corbes Group, the former chairman of the Bar Association says unaware both offshore companies. “That reminds me, and I have a good memory, I never knew that I have been granted such powers, never exercised and evidently not the will execute,” said Júdice in writing. “I know the power of attorney, I have never seen, but the Portuguese law is clear, the proxies are granted to lawyers and not law firms,” said José Miguel Judice.
The lawyer points out to have nothing to do with offshore companies. “I’ve never been involved in the creation or representation of any offshore companies over more than 40 years of professional life, even if it is not illegal. Nor was involved in this case. But what Express Reading retreat is that the acquired company was based in the uS , “says Júdice.
Even faced with the existence of documents that cite as legal representative of Penn Plaza and Corbes, the lawyer maintained the statements made on this matter. The truth is that Jose Miguel Judice worked for many years with John Rendeiro and has participated in its legal defense, either directly or by delegating this role other colleagues, such as John Medeiros, criminal law expert and partner of PLMJ, the largest country law firm that Júdice is one of the founders.
In the last weekly edition of the Express , published on Saturday, April 9, Jose Miguel Judice said that the creation of offshore is not an area business of his office. And devalued the issue of tax havens. “ Want to end the offshore is like wanting to end prostitution ,” he said. “Often offshore have a logic that does not have anything illegal, just as there may be prostitution for love ,” added the lawyer.
On this matter, Júdice also said to have nothing against the revision of the penal framework for tax evasion. “If those who suffer with those who pay taxes are the ones who pay, like me, it is best to review it penal framework for financial crimes and apply them the maximum sentence, 25 years,” he pointed out the partner of PLMJ.
Contacted by Express , John Rendeiro declined to confirm continued to have José Miguel Judice as your lawyer (in the late 2015 John Medeiros, the Júdice office, represented the former -banqueiro).
“Everything will be treated on the spot, the court” , was John’s answer tenant in a short written message.
The founder of BPP is accused by the Department of Investigation and Penal Action Lisbon tax fraud, embezzlement and money laundering, a process that investigated the retention bonuses and other personal benefits by former BPP’s administrators using various offshore companies and thus avoiding the taxation of such income.
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