The alleged corruption case targeting, in Portugal, Armando Pereira, the historic associate of Patrick Drahi, the owner of Altice (SFR, BFM-TV, etc.), is extending to France. According to a judicial source, which confirms information from the Bloomberg agency, the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) “opened, in September 2023, a preliminary investigation into charges of corruption of persons not exercising public office, money laundering and concealment of these crimes”.
“This opening of an investigation follows in particular the revelations that occurred in the summer of 2023, reporting the arrest, on July 13, 2023, of Armando Pereira by the Portuguese authorities”continues this source.
Altice does not comment. The group has always said it was a victim of the corruption affair, recalling that, in its first conclusions, the Portuguese prosecutor had estimated that it would have been harmed to the tune of more than 100 million euros by these practices. Patrick Drahi’s company obtained, in October 2023, the status of assistant, which allowed it to have access to certain documents in the file. On the other hand, Altice never filed a complaint against Armando Pereira, neither in Portugal nor in France.
“He hopes to be heard so that his honor is cleansed”
“Armando Pereira only wants one thing: for the investigation to move forward quickly and efficientlyhis lawyer, Jean Tamalet, told Bloomberg. He hopes to be heard so that his honor can be cleansed. » Me Tamalet said he wanted Altice’s contracts with suppliers in France to be audited to see whether the group was penalized, whether they gave rise to bribes and, if so, who benefited.
Armando Pereira was arrested during a vast police operation which led to a search of the Altice Portugal headquarters in Lisbon. He is suspected of eleven crimes of corruption and tax fraud. His lawyers dispute them. According to the alleged fraudulent mechanism, Portuguese companies working with different entities of the Altice group, including SFR and BFM-TV in France, would have been favored, for the benefit of their shareholders, all close to Armando Pereira. Telecom equipment was also purchased from intermediary companies, again owned by associates of the Portuguese.
Under house arrest after his arrest in his villa in northern Portugal, Armando Pereira obtained the lifting of this obligation in October 2023, in exchange for the payment of a bail of 10 million euros.
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