Porto, Portugal, Dec. 3, 2025 (Lusa) - The president of the Portuguese Vinho Verde Region Viticulture Commission, Dora Simões, on Wednesday guaranteed "full and willing" cooperation with the authorities after the institution was searched by the Judicial Police (PJ), who detained four employees.
"Full and willing cooperation. We are keen to ensure that matters are investigated in the best possible way and as quickly as possible," Dora Simões told Lusa today, following the PJ's Puro Verde operation, which led to the detention of four businessmen and four employees of the Vinho Verde Region Viticulture Commission (CVRVV), suspected of active and passive corruption, document forgery and abuse of power in the sector.
Twenty-one house searches and non-house searches were carried out, including at the CVRVV headquarters in Porto, involving "an alleged collusion scheme between Commission officials and businessmen in the wine sector, with a view to favouring the latter, namely by omitting their duties to monitor the origin and transit of grapes and their storage in wineries and producers during the 2025 harvest".
According to the Judicial Police (PJ - the country's main criminal investigation agency), the detainees are four members of the CVRVV's Inspection and Control Division and four businessmen from the vinho verde production and distribution sector. In addition, "17 individuals and legal entities have been made official suspects and assets in kind and cash have been seized".
"This morning, when we arrived at the Commission, the Judicial Police were at the door and searches are being carried out at the commission, and some members who work at the commission have been detained for questioning," Dora Simões told Lusa, saying she was "absolutely" taken by surprise by the investigation.
Assuring that she had "no knowledge of anything in particular", Dora Simões assured that the authorities would have "access to all the information they need to proceed with the case".
"We ourselves are also interested in understanding what exists, and if anything exists," she stressed, saying she did not yet have any information about the geographical origin of the companies involved.
Recognising that this "is a demanding, difficult time in the wine sector" and that "it is natural that there may be a situation of suspicion", she considered that it is the CVRVV's obligation "to cooperate and provide the best service so that, in the best interests of the commission and the Vinho Verde Region, this investigation can be carried out".
Asked whether any disciplinary measures would be taken against the employees detained, Dora Simões ruled out this possibility for the time being, as she was unaware of "the content of the case".
"We know that it has to do with inspection, but we don't know anything else. Therefore, we are providing access to everything that is requested of us so that they can investigate whatever is necessary," she concluded.
The PJ points out that the viticulture commission "is responsible for controlling production and trade and certifying wine products entitled to DO (Denomination of Origin) and GI (Geographical Indication) status, as well as companies involved in the production and marketing of wines".
It therefore states that "the process of certifying the quality of DO wine, which confirms and certifies its origin, the grape varieties used, the vineyard treatment processes, vinification and ageing, which characterise the wines of a particular DO and distinguish them from others, is being jeopardised".
The investigation originated from an anonymous tip-off and the suspects' objective was "to benefit certain economic operators by offering and accepting advantages, both in goods and in cash", and "aimed to detect and collect evidence about the aforementioned scheme, confirm whether there was a violation of certification rules and prevent the strengthening of supervision, with the practices detected proving to be complex and very difficult to detect despite the efforts of the Commission's Directorate and special supervision operations conducted by the national guard (GNR) and the Food and Economic Safety Authority (ASAE)".
The detainees will be brought before the relevant judicial authority at the Criminal Investigation Court of Porto for initial questioning and the application of coercive measures, the PJ also reported.
JE/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
