https://madeira-weekly.com/2025/08/24/pakistani-money-laundering-uncovered/

Chega Deputy Francisco Gomes denounces that thousands of Pakistani bureaucrats are using Portugal to launder millions of euros obtained through corruption and illicit activities.

According to the parliamentarian, these operations involve the acquisition of properties in the country, not only to invest money of criminal origin, but also to obtain Portuguese nationality, allowing, if necessary, an escape from accusations and legal proceedings that they may face in Pakistan.

The Chega deputy warns that this is “one of the biggest corruption scandals” today and that it continues to occur “in plain sight.” Francisco Gomes states that the Portuguese media remains silent and that the national authorities are not taking effective measures to stop the entry of money that he says is “dirty and corrupt” into the national territory to obtain nationality.

The parliamentarian also claims to have information indicating that between 7,000 and 11,000 Pakistani bureaucrats have already carried out such operations.

“It is unacceptable that Portugal is being transformed into a paradise for corrupt internationals. We are talking about thousands of individuals who buy houses with dirty money and secure a Portuguese passport to escape justice. The silence of the authorities and the media is an accomplice of this national shame!” Said Francisco Gomes, deputy in the Assembly of the Republic.

Francisco Gomes points out that the seriousness of the case is not limited to the economic impact, but involves what he says are risks to national security. In this sense, he points out that, according to the information he has, many of the Pakistani bureaucrats involved in the scheme may be linked to radical Islamic movements.

For Francisco Gomes, the combination of high-level corruption with potential links to extremist networks creates an explosive scenario that cannot be ignored by national authorities.

“We are not just allowing corrupt money to enter the country. We are also opening the door to radical networks that pose a threat to national security. This case is too serious to ignore and requires action by the Portuguese government, which I trust is already in possession of some of this information,” he pointed out.

Chega considers that the scandal of alleged Pakistani money laundering reveals even more weaknesses in the mechanisms for verifying the origin of foreign investments in Portugal. Also for this reason, the party defends the revision of the rules that allow the acquisition of nationality through real estate investment and the creation of a rigorous screening system to prevent Portugal from being used as a refuge for criminals.