The mega case of corruption involving the issue of driving licenses ended in Bragança , the majority of the 111 defendants were convicted in a case resulting in a loss of almost five million euros to the state.
The trial was concluded on Wednesday 13th December, more than two and a half years after it started with 111 defendants, a result of the operation of the Judiciary Police that became known as the “White Letter”.
The court applied 11 prison terms to examiners and owners of driving schools of between five years and three months and eight and a half years. Five of these defendants were also sentenced to surrender to the state a total of almost five million euros, results of the alleged illegal activity, in addition to other assets seized during the process.
Among those convicted are four examiners who are barred from pursuing the activity for periods of three and five years.
At least 25 defendants were convicted, but they were suspended, on the condition that they pay sums to solidarity institutions, with a total value of around 150 thousand euros.
Among the nearly 60 applicants accused of paying to get the driving license, some were acquitted but more than 30 people were given suspended sentences , and were stripped of their licences to drives vehicles because they were was obtained illegally.
In the process was also sentenced a defendant to pay a fine of 2100 euros who took the examination by another candidate and two doctors who falsified certificates will pay fines of 7200 euros and 5400 euros.
The court read only the penalties of the judgment since the full document would take days to read, as stressed by the presiding judge, in the one that is classified as a complex process and the greatest one ever undertaken in Bragança.
Lawyer Miguel Brochado, who represented six defendants at the trial, between driving schools and landlords, said he would appeal the decision, although he will still review the ruling.