The investigation of Operation Lex carried out by the Portuguese justice has resulted in a list of 17 defendants in which Luis Filipe Vieira, president of Benfica, appears. According to the public note provided by the prosecution, the 17 defendants must respond to crimes of corruption, usurpation of functions, abuse of power, tax fraud, improper receipt of benefits and money laundering. Likewise, the prosecution estimates that the defendants have obtained an undue advantage amounting to 1.5 million euros.
Among the defendants there are three judges, Rui Rangel, the main one who became a candidate for the presidency of Benfica in 2012. According to the accusation, Vieira must respond precisely to the alleged crime of receiving an undue advantage from the magistrate in a process in the Sintra Tax Court in which one of his son's companies was involved. In return, the magistrate would have been promised a position in the club's foundation and provided tickets for matches.