Altice may proceed with compensation claims against Armando Pereira, Hernâni Vaz Antunes and others who may be found guilty in the Picoas case. The group has hired VdA and Uría.
Altice has hired law firms Vieira de Almeida and Uría Menendez-Proença de Carvalho in Portugal to defend itself in the Picoas case, admitting to filing claims for damages against suspects who may be found guilty, Jornal Económico reports.
Last week, Patrick Drahi (pictured), the largest shareholder, said he felt “betrayed and deceived by a small group of individuals, including one of our most senior colleagues”. In a conference call with bondholders, he said “the group is a victim, not the accused”.
According to Jornal Económico, the group is considering legal proceedings to demand compensation from the defendants in the Picoas operation, such as Armando Pereira and Hernâni Vaz Antunes, if they are found guilty in the investigation into the fraudulent deals that have damaged the company and the state by hundreds of millions of euros.
Veira de Almeida will defend the operator’s interests against its co-founder, while Uría-Menendez-Proença de Carvalho will assist in the internal investigation, the newspaper says.
Armando Pereira is entitled to a 20% share of Patrick Drahi’s profits. An “atypical” contract, as explained by Negócios last week, which Drahi admits it is possible to reverse.
