Tiago Petinga / Lusa
The former president of BPP, João Rendeiro
Nine works of art that were in London were repatriated, says the PJ. An apartment worth R$1.15 million, a vehicle worth R$50,000 and bank balances of more than half a million reais were also seized.
The Judiciary Police (PJ) announced this Friday that it had recovered a total of nine works of art of João Rendeiro that had been sold illegally when the former banker was convicted of laundering crimes.
“In October 2021, following the escape of João Rendeiro, and the news of the misdirection of several works of art, as part of the process in which he was convicted, the Judiciary Police took steps with a view to locating and recovering the product of the crime”, says the national directorate of the PJ in a statement.
The steps included “issuing requests for international judicial cooperation to the UK, USA, France, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland and Belgium” and by December 2024, nine pieces that were in London.
The works, the thousands of illegal sales (and other goods)
This month, three pieces were recovered: “Untitled Painting” by Robert Longo (sold in March 2021 for R$91,500); a white marble bench entitled “Selections from Truisms: A Lot of Professional”, by artist Jenny Holzer (around 150 thousand euros) and a black marble bench, “Nothing Will Stop You”, by artist Jenny Holzer (135 thousand euros ).
“In September 2024, the repatriation of the painting “Rzochow” by artist Frank Stella had already been achieved, sold illegally in October 2021”, for R$70 thousandand that he was in New York.
In January 2022, the painting “Piaski”, by artist Frank Stella, was repatriated, which it had been sold illegally in March 2021, for around 110 thousand euroswho was in Belgium.
In Portugal, in 2021, other works had already been recovered, such as the paintings “Seraglio II” (Julião Sarmento), “Dias Almost Tranquilos” (Helena Almeida), “Lag-72” (Frank Nitsche) and “Quadro sem tito” (Pedro Calapez).
In the statement, the PJ recalls that other assets belonging directly or indirectly to João Rendeiro and his wife were seized, such as a apartment (1.15 million euros), one high-displacement vehicle (50 thousand euros), bank balances in Portugal and abroad worth 514 thousand euros.
Overall, the Portuguese authorities say that “goods and valuables worth around 70 million euros”.
The founder and former president of BPP, João Rendeirolike other former directors, were involved in economic-financial crimes that occurred between 2003 and 2008, after granting themselves prizes and inappropriately appropriating money from the bank.
Rendeiro would end up on May 12 of this year in a prison in South Africawhere he has been since the end of 2021, after three months of escaping from Portuguese justice to avoid serving a sentence in Portugal.
João Rendeiro’s inheritance by no one within the period given by judge Rui Teixeira. Rendeiro’s assets must be valued when they are sold, but it is estimated that the inheritance is worth around 15 million euros.
