In a written reply to Lusa, the office said it "confirms the constitution as persons of interest of Luís Filipe Vieira and of Fernando Tavares" in the investigation, in which senior judge Rui Rangel, a former candidate for president of Benfica, and his ex-wife, Fátima Galante, are also persons of interest.

The office of the attorney-general stated that “the inquiry at this moment has 12 declared persons of interests, among them five detainees who will be, foreseeably by the end of the day, presented to the first questioning by a judge for application of any bail conditions.”

Operation Lex involves the investigation of suspected bribery, money laundering, and tax fraud.

Because of Rangel’s status as a judge, the questioning is to be carried out by a member of the Supreme Court.