"In view of the request, it is hereby authorized [...] that the hearing take place in the absence of the defendant applicant, who will be represented for all possible purposes by his defense attorney", states, in a recent ruling to which Lusa had access, the Central Criminal Court of Lisbon.
According to Correio da Manhã, which reported the news, the authorization came after Helder Bataglia claimed that it was practically impossible for him to attend the trial, as he resides in Angola.
In the ruling, the court emphasizes that the authorization does not exempt the businessman from attending the trial whenever his presence is considered indispensable by the judges.
In addition to Helder Bataglia, accused by the Public Prosecutor's Office of a crime of breach of trust, the defendants in the case include Álvaro Sobrinho, former president of BESA, Ricardo Salgado, former president of BES, his former right-hand man, Amílcar Morais Pires, and the former director of the Portuguese bank Rui Silveira.
The issue at stake is, in particular, the diversion, between 2007 and 2012, of funds from a BES loan to BESA in Interbank Money Market (MMI) credit lines and bank overdrafts, with overall benefits for some defendants of 265,178,856.09 euros.
According to a judicial source, the trial, initially scheduled for 29 April, will begin on 5 May. There are 17 more sessions scheduled until 15 July.
The trial will be interrupted during the judicial vacations, and will then resume on 15 September.
