Accused by the Public Prosecutor's Office of dozens of crimes of trafficking in persons and illegal immigration in Baixo Alentejo.
It was following a house search carried out in the number 8 of Rua Asta Branco, located in the historic center of Beja, that the inspectors of the Aliens and Borders Service (SEF) noticed the web set up by the Dicov brothers, to explore and enslave compatriots in estates in Baixo Alentejo.
In the house they found 540 euros, 10800 artisan cigarettes, documentation on the companies Tatiana Ivanova and Matei Costel, supported by "iron foreheads", worker listings, "work contracts", fake romanian identity cards. Social Security reported to investigators that hundreds of workers were linked to those companies., but that they were working illegally for the defendants Sergiu and Victor Dvoc.
In the indictment of the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) of the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP) Évora, to which the Lidador news (LN) We had access, Sergiu Dicov, of 42 year old, Victor Dicov, of 35 year old, and the two companies are accused of committing human trafficking crimes., association for aid to illegal immigration and forgery of documents. The MP, in addition to asking for the conviction of the defendants, asked for the application of the accessory penalty of expulsion from the national territory.
Born in Moldova, Sergiu, Victor and Ion, “supported” by the two sole proprietorships, “created” by Tatiana and Matei, they enticed and brought to Portugal dozens of citizens of that country, who then controlled, getting them passports, subjecting them to slave labor, housed in precarious and overcrowded housing. There were times when workers were attacked and expelled from the houses where they spent the night, if they complained about the working conditions. During the investigation, SEF inspectors concluded that Ion, the youngest of the brothers, he was just the “field man” who controlled the working hours of the workers.
According to the MP, the Dicov scheme was so oppressive that they forced Tatiana Ivanova and Matei Costel to create the two companies, but which were controlled by Sergiu, to place workers in various estates in Baixo Alentejo, namely in the municipalities of Beja (Rabadoa) and Ferreira do Alentejo (good source), after contracting the provision of work with their owners.
In addition to not having work contracts, workers were also not entitled to overtime pay., holiday and christmas allowance. The order of the MP reveals that each victim "discounted 135 euros for the trip from Moldova to Portugal, 65 euros for house rent and water expenses, electricity and gas and amounts between 150 and 400 euros for expenses with obtaining the Portuguese tax number".
BaleizĂŁo, Beringel, Neves, Mombeja all towns and parishes in the municipality of Beja, were the places where the Dicov housed workers crammed into housing with 40/50 people inside.
After his arrest in July 2019, the two Moldovans were subject to terms of identity and residency weekly presentations to the authorities, prohibition of contacting victims and going abroad. The Dicov brothers made a "clean board" of court decisions and in December of that year they left Portugal, not without having been seen two months earlier in the city of Beja, collecting passengers coming by bus from the city of Chisinau.
The judgement, whose date is not yet scheduled, will be held at the Criminal Court of Beja, before a Collective Court, being enlisted, 37 witnesses, mostly labor victims of the Dicov brothers.
The crimes they are accused of
Sergiu Divoc: 5 trafficking offenses people, 1 aid association of crime illegal immigration, 25 crimes to aid illegal immigration and 7 document forgery crimes.
Victor Divoc: 5 trafficking offenses people, 1 aid association of crime and illegal immigration 25 aid of crimes against illegal immigration.
Tatiana Ivanova, Sole, Lda: 5 trafficking offenses people, 1 aid association of crime and illegal immigration 26 aid of crimes against illegal immigration.
Matei Costel, Sole, Lda: 1 aid association of crime and illegal immigration 9 aid of crimes against illegal immigration.
Trial in Beja a 20 of September
The Usurelu couple, Romanian citizenship, was charged by the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP) of Évora of 13 trafficking in persons and crimes 9 crimes of aid to illegal emigration. A Angy San, Lda, company controlled by the defendants, is also accused of the same crimes.
Last conviction in December 2020
In December 2020 six individuals, aged between 27 and 49 year old, Romanian and Moldovan nationals were sentenced to prison terms, although some were suspended in its execution, for a crime of aid to illegal immigration, in material co-authorship.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
