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João António de Araújo Vale e Azevedo (born 17 May 1957) is a businessman, a former Portuguese Lawyer, founder of an independent private equity Company based in London, making investments in several areas including energy, commodities, telecommunications, property, food industry and entertainment; and in buyout and development capital; who was the 31st president of S.L. Benfica. From January 1981 to June 1983 he was also legal adviser to the Portuguese Prime Minister, Francisco Pinto Balsemao

Biography

Vale e Azevedo was born in 1957 in Lisbon. He belongs to an Old Portuguese Family from the Portuguese region of Ribatejo. From 1963 to 1974 he studied in the Jesuit elite school in Lisbon, Colegio S Joao de Brito. In 1980 he graduated as a lawyer from the Faculdade de Direito de Lisboa (Lisbon Law Faculty) under the Lisbon State University. After graduation in founded his own law firm, Vale e Azevedo & Associates that soon become one of the biggest and most influent in Portugal. From January 1981 to June 1983 he was also legal adviser to the Portuguese Prime Minister, Francisco Pinto Balsemao. As a qualified Lawyer he was member of the Portuguese Bar Association, International Bar Association, European Lawyer’s Union, American Bank Attorneys and Young Lawyers International Association (AIJA). For the past 30 years he have been Chairman, CEO, director, member of the board, adviser and/or lawyer of several European or Pan-European companies, listed and no listed, including major banks and financials institutional namely, Advent International (New York, US; London, UK), ADM - Archer Daniels Midland (Decatur, US), Amylum Group (Tate & Lyle – London, UK), Apax Partners (London, UK), Banque Nationale de Paris/Banque Paribas (Paris, France), Barraqueiro Group (Lisbon, Portugal), Catalana de Gas (Barcelona, Spain), Cerestar Group (Cargill – Minneapolis, US), Gas Natural Fenosa (Barcelona, Spain), Gines Navarro (Madrid, Spain), Ferrovial (Madrid, Spain), Marden Enterprises Corporation (US), Warburg Pincus (London, UK), UEB United European Bank (Geneva, Switzerland and Luxembourg), V&A Capital (London, UK). He also developed business interests particularly in the sugar industry and in property Currently residing in the UK.

Presidency of Benfica

On 31 October 1997, Vale e Azevedo was elected as the 31st president of Portuguese club S.L. Benfica, succeeding Manuel Damásio, in the second most contested election in the club's history. He won the elections with 51.5% of 19,824 votes. Soon after, he signed Graeme Souness as coach of the football team. One year and a half later, Souness left the club. He then signed Jupp Heynckes, the German two times European Champion, as coach for the season 1999/2000 . In September 2000 he discovered Jose Mourinho and offered him his first contract as coach.

On 6 November, Vale e Azevedo declared void three contracts between Benfica and Olivedesportos and announced he would take the case to court. The contracts, which were related to static advertising and broadcasting rights of Benfica football matches, had been signed on 28 March 1996 by his predecessor, Damásio. Eight days later, Vale e Azevedo signed an agreement protocol with SIC for the broadcasting of Benfica matches at the Estádio da Luz for the 1997–98 season. On 8 February 1999, Benfica signed a contract with SIC for the broadcasting rights of all home matches in the league between 1999–2000 and 2003–04 seasons. On 2 November 2000, the three contracts with Olivedesportos were declared void in court.

On taking over as President of Benfica Vale e Azevedo found the club was in ruins. There was no financial control whatsoever there, not even any accurate documented accounts. There were insufficient records of payments, which had been made, or income received and it was impossible for anyone to provide the President or the Board with a proper indication of the financial position of the club. There was not even enough money for the team travel; Vale e Azevedo had to pay it out of his own pocket. Vale e Azevedo recovered the financial situation of the club by reducing staff, selling no relevant property assets and by introducing targets within the football squad contracts .

During his three-year presidency that ended on 31 October 2000, which ended on 31 October 2000, Vale e Azevedo saved Benfica from a certain bankruptcy due to accumulated huge debts from his predecessors and start paying taxes, suppliers and salaries that were outstanding for months and in some cases years

Moreover, the main football team did not win any silverware. Some of his highlights were the "discovery" of coach José Mourinho, the youth football teams that wan all championships for the first time in years, and the cycling team's Volta a Portugal victory in 1999.

Vale e Azevedo was succeeded by Manuel Vilarinho.

Imprisonment

Vale e Azevedo three-year term as President of Benfica ended on 31 October 2000. Prior to that there had been a concentrated smear campaign against him in the press. This predated his departure from the club but it was after that departure that the police investigations began. These investigations were said to be justified by the allegations that were being made in the press. There now followed a whole succession of cases brought against Vale e Azevedo. Although the cases had different specific allegations they were based on the same background facts, people, witnesses and information and one case followed another to such an extent that there have been continual cases being brought against Vale e Azevedo since then all directly or indirectly related with Benfica. Vale e Azevedo have never accepted any of the charges and convictions brought against him and believe they have been motivated by political and personal reasons . An important part of the Portuguese public opinion and even top officials of the Portuguese Judicial System also consider that the cases are unfair, political or personal motivated. One of the most relevant statements on that sense was made on the 3rd June 2009 by the Deputy Prosecutor General, Mrs Candida de Almeida, to the Portuguese press: “if we had a comprehensive law and he was English, Vale e Azevedo would never be convicted” . The President of the Portuguese Bar Association made a similar statement in the Portuguese Parliament in 26 June 2008: “Vale e Azevedo, the former president of Benfica has grounds for complaint from the Portuguese justice...he chose to live in England because it provides guarantees of fundamental rights”. . Vale e Azevedo was placed under house arrest on 16 February 2001 for 6 months until 7 August 2001, only being permitted to leave his house for judicial proceedings. He was not charged with any offence during this period. On 17 April 2002, he was sentenced in the "Ovchinnikov" case. Initially it was alleged that in 1998 he had misappropriated Benfica funds. That charge was dismissed by the Court, which accepted that the club was indebted to Vale e Azevedo. He has a claim against Benfica since 2001 for €7.5 million plus interests (which is still outstanding). He was however convicted of "peculation" on the basis that his position as President of Benfica was equivalent to that of a civil servant within the Government and that he had dealt inappropriately in the accounting of monies and was thus in breach of requirements of a civil servant. 14 charges – 13 acquitted, 1 convicted .

During 2003/2004, he was trialed in relation to the "Euroárea" case. This Euroarea case relates to facts in 2000 again concerning Benfica. The alleged crime was that the Benfica accounts for that year included reference to the sale of land by Benfica for which the contract was actually exchanged approximately a month after that years end. It was accepted that Vale e Azevedo did not have direct control over the accounts, which were drawn up by the club's accounting department and audited independently. It was accepted that he had not taken any money from the club. 15 charges – 12 acquitted, 3 minors convicted .

In 2005, 2006 and 2007 he was again trialed but in relation to other two cases: the Ribafria and Dantas da Cunha cases .

On 30 March 2007, he was sentenced in the "Ribafria" case. This case relates to a property investment in 1993 by a German foundation in Portugal. This case would be a simple and normal business conflict between two companies if it did not involve Vale e Azevedo. It resulted in a conviction of one charge although the Judges were not unanimous and one of the three Judges considered that Vale e Azevedo should have been acquitted in full. Later the High Court ordered that the case be returned to the Lower Court to be reviewed, but the Lower Court did not review it .

Three months later, on 11 July 2007, he was sentenced in the "Dantas da Cunha" case. This case related to the purchase in 1997 of a building and a development plot in which Vale e Azevedo was CEO of the buying company when it transpired that the building had previously been sold to someone else and the plot could not be developed. Again this case would be a simple and normal business conflict between two companies if, again it did not involve Vale e Azevedo The presiding Judge, Judge Renato Barroso, was also the Chairman of the General Assembly of Supporters for FC Porto in Lisbon and as such had been an opponent for many years of Vale e Azevedo because of the intense rivalry between Benfica and FC Porto. In giving judgment the Judge said that he had not taken into account the evidence of either side but that he was making the decision based on his "common experience criteria" .

On May 2008, the same Judge Renato Barroso issued a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) against Vale e Azevedo. A year and half before, in January 2007, he had established permanent residence in London, following his appointment in 2004 as CEO of V&A Capital Ltd, an England and Wales corporate finance company operating in the London market .

Two months later, on 8 July 2008, he surrendered voluntarily at a police station in Belgravia, West London, to comply with the EAW issued by Portugal. Vale e Azevedo was formally arrested and released immediately after. In this instance the British Authorities refused to extradite him to Portugal .

On 11 March 2010 the Portuguese Supreme Court computed all four sentences into one sole sentence of 11 years and 6 months but deducted 6 years. This meant that the balance, 5 years and 6 months, could be fully served on parole .

On 10 October 2012, 4 years and 4 months after having surrendered voluntarily following the first of three other Portuguese EAW requests, the High Court in London finally accepted to extradite Vale e Azevedo to Portugal. The decision was made in the assumption that Vale e Azevedo would in fact be released "within a matter of days rather than weeks" .

On 12 November 2012, he was extradited from the United Kingdom to Portugal where he had lived permanently for 5 years and had regular businesses for 8 years .

He was then again tried in Portugal but in absence (despite being in Portugal in custody) and sentenced on 2 July 2013 in relation to the transfers of Benfica footballers in 1999/2000: Scott Minto (£500,000), Gary Charles (£1,200,000) and Tahar El Khalej ($850,000). However, in a judgment dated 27 May 2014 by District Judge Purdy, of the Westminster Magistrates’ Court, In London, said this trial and sentence was not validated as it had taken place in the absence of the Defendant who was forbidden to appear at his own trial and was also a flagrant breach of Article 6.1 of the ECHR: i) trial of matters which should have been dealt with many years ago; ii) by reason of the lack of independence of Portuguese Judges and their conduct in Vale e Azevedo's cases; iii) because no Court in Portugal would be able to acquit Vale e Azevedo because to do so would undermine the previous sentences .

In the Judgment of the 27 May 2014 made by District Judge Purdy he made it clear when quoting "Vale e Azevedo has been the subject of a vindictive and politically based campaign". Also he confirmed that Vale e Azevedo had the “protection afforded by the specialty arrangements” and declined consent to all requests from Portugal to waive that principle “given the context of the myriad of cases against Vale e Azevedo and the manner, as a fact, Portugal have hitherto and thus highly likely (if not inevitably) will be pursued if consent is granted I do find it oppressive and thus unfair...” .

On the 12 March 2015 the High Court in London confirmed District Judge Purdy's Judgment putting an end to Vale e Azevedo's cases and described in open Court that the continual pursuit against Vale e Azevedo by the Portuguese Authorities represented "a relentless pursuit of an individual" .

On 7 June 2016 Vale e Azevedo was finally released. Contrary to what they formally pledged to the British Courts, the Portuguese authorities did not release Vale e Azevedo on parole making him served the maximum time allowed by law

References

1. "Ex-Benfica president Joao Vale e Azevedo extradited to serve peculation prison sentence". Huffington Post UK. 16 March 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
2. "Vale e Azevedo deixou hoje a prisão da Carregueira" [Vale e Azevedo left the Carregueira prison today]. Diário Digital (in Portuguese). 7 June 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
3. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
4. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joao-vale-e-azevedo-6a6b88128/
5. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
6. http://www.tvi24.iol.pt/videos/sociedade/vale-e-azevedo-pede-passaporte-urgente-para-regressar-a-londres/57868ef10cf2edf5f6b59d39
7. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joao-vale-e-azevedo-6a6b88128/
8. ^ https://www.publico.pt/noticia/vieira-reeleito-na-presidencia-do-benfica-com-83-dos-votos-1569011
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/Jupp_Heynckes
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/José_Mourinho
11. "Benfica-Olivedesportos - cronologia de um caso" [Benfica-Olivedesportos - chronology of a case]. Maisfutebol (in Portuguese). 3 November 2000. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
12. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
13. "Benfica face financial uncertainty". BBC Sport. 25 September 2001. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
14. "João Vale e Azevedo". S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
15. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
16. IOL Diario 21/06/2009
17. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
18. RTP 21/06/2009//Marino Pinto considers a complain for reasons for Vale e Azevedo
19. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
20. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
21. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
22. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
23. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
24. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
25. sicnoticias.sapo.pt/pais/20/03/22/juiz-renato-barroso; Diario de Noticias DN 22/03/2012
26. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
27. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
28. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
29. http://www.kaimtodner.com/extradition/judgment_joao_azevado.pdf; http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/judjements
30. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
31. http://www.apcolaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/statement-joao-vale-e-azevedo.pdf
32. http://www.kaimtodner.com/news/2014/05/27/media_release__joao_azevado.asp
33. http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/judjements
34. http://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-courts-and-tribunals-service
35. http://www.kaimtodner.com/news/2014/05/27/media_release__joao_azevado.asp
36. http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/judjements
37. http://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-courts-and-tribunals-service
38. http://www.kaimtodner.com/news/2015/03/13/media_release__joao_azevado.asp
39. http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/judjements
40. http://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-courts-and-tribunals-service
41. cite news|date=7 June 2016|title=Vale e Azevedo já foi libertado|trans-title=Vale e Azevedo has been released|url=https://www.publico.pt/sociedade/noticia/vale-e-azevedo-ja-foi-libertado-1734307%7Clanguage=Portuguese%7Cnewspaper=Público%7Caccess-date=9 June 2016

Further reading

• Vale e Azevedo, João (December 2002). A armadilha [The entrapment] (Third ed.). Letras Gordas. ISBN 972-8789-00-9. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Pragal Colaço, António (2009). A vida de Vale e Azevedo; do Benfica a Londres, toda a história de um condenado procurado pela justiça [The life of Vale e Azevedo; from Benfica to London, all the history of a wanted fugitive] (First ed.). Presslivre. ISBN 978-972-8996-19-2. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

• 1957 births
• Living people
• People from Lisbon
• Portuguese lawyers
• S.L. Benfica presidents