Court tightens the net on Fernando Madureira in ticket scam | OneFootball

The investigation into the alleged illegal FC Porto ticket sales scheme, which is believed to have moved millions of euros, is nearing its end. Fernando Madureira, former leader of the Super Dragões, was made a formal suspect around two weeks ago and is now awaiting questioning by the Porto PSP Criminal Investigation Division. The inquiry could result in around 30 suspects being formally charged in the coming months, amid suspicions of large-scale diversion of funds through the sale of the club’s tickets.

According to information reported by Correio da Manhã (CM), Fernando Madureira was made a formal suspect at his home in Vila Nova de Gaia, before returning to Paços de Ferreira Prison, where he is serving the sentence handed down in the Operation Pretoriano case. During the past week, several other suspects were also called in to give statements and confronted with the evidence gathered over the last two years. The investigation is being led by prosecutor Graça Ferreira, from Porto’s Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DIAP), the same magistrate who is also handling the case concerning the incidents at FC Porto’s General Assembly in November 2023.

Authorities are said to have incorporated into this new inquiry some of the evidence gathered in Operation Pretoriano, namely the tickets found in the possession of some suspects. The money and vehicles seized from the Madureira couple during the initial searches were also linked to the case, since investigators believe they may have been obtained through the alleged ticket-selling scheme. The suspicion is that the activity generated very high profits over the last few years. The inquiry is expected to be concluded shortly, allowing charges to be brought afterwards.

Operation “Golden Ticket,” launched in May 2024, included searches carried out while Fernando Madureira was in pre-trial detention. At that time, the former leader of the Super Dragões was not made a formal suspect, unlike several relatives: his wife, Sandra Madureira, his daughter Catarina, and other family members, including his in-laws. In total, 13 people were made formal suspects, more than 44,000 euros were seized, and around 1,000 tickets were found at the family home. The investigation also points to the possibility that Catarina Madureira may have taken over the alleged operation after her father’s arrest.

Another formal suspect in the case is Carlos Nunes, known as “Jamaica,” who was made a formal suspect about a month later, in Póvoa de Varzim. The suspect had already been sentenced, as part of Operation Pretoriano, to two years and seven months in prison, suspended. At the same time, an audit commissioned by FC Porto concluded that the Super Dragões had accumulated a debt of close to two million euros, relating to ticket proceeds that were allegedly not passed on to the club. The operation also included searches at Porto Comercial, the Members’ Store, and the Estádio do Dragão, involving dozens of PSP officers. Fernando Madureira continues to serve the remainder of the three-year and four-month prison sentence imposed in Operation Pretoriano, while the defense hopes that the former supporters’ group leader may apply for parole after completing two-thirds of the sentence.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.