Sentenced to 16 years in prison for falsifying Port wine

My friends, this was taken from Correio da Manhã newspaper:

http://www.cmjornal.xl.pt/detalhe/noticias/nacional/portugal/condenado-a-16-anos-de-cadeia-por-falsificar-vinho-do-porto

Sentenced to 16 years in prison for falsifying Port wine

The Ruler's Court sentenced today to 16 years in prison Pedro Marta, the main accused of Douro Negro, a megaprocess falsification of port wine that has dragged on for ten years, but the defense has said it will appeal.

The Oporto Relation Court decided to re-send the case to the first instance in which were added about a hundred new crimes, including tax evasion qualified, forgery or fraudulent introduction consumption, 45 defendants involved in the case.

In the first instance, the Court of the Ruler of Régua condemned to imprisonment, to July 13, 2007, eight of the accused's at the case "Douro Negro" and acquitted all the companies involved in the case. The case involved 94 defendants - 59 individuals and 35 companies.

The Ruler's Court gave as evidence that the main accused of the case, Pedro Marta, was the "mastermind" of a scheme that passed through the production and marketing of Port wines in quantities greater than those declared, it condemned the crimes of tax evasion , genuinity against crime and falsifying documents.

Almost three years later, the judgment of the Oporto Relation Court resulted in a significant worsening of convictions. The Relation condemned Marta to a single sentence of 12 years in prison, almost double the sentence in the first instance.

Today, the Court of Régua condemned Pedro Marta to a penalty of 16 years in prison for crimes such as tax evasion qualified, forgery or fraudulent introduction consumption

It also applied a fine of 102 000 euros to the three companies managed by the defendants, who were convicted of nine crimes.

That's a stiff sentence. Mind you, Port wine is one of your country's most famous and admired products, so I suppose it is justified.

Also, people have been known to put any old poison in fake wine.

Speaking of, Pedro, I had the pleasure of sipping some 1944 Port which some friends bought when they were living in Portugal. It was a tawny one and absolutely heaven.

Well, I agree with that sentence.

bb1, lily, your words are mine.

Pedro, love your Halloween avatar.

lily, I agree with you, thanks.

It's super, Pedro, most unusual.