It was one of the most extraordinary frauds in the history of Portugal, and perhaps the whole Europe. 200,000 fake banknotes, each of 500 escudos (about £ 5) flooded the country and were really perfect. man who masterminded and carried out this monstrous fraud was Artur Virgilio Alves Reis, an official of the Portuguese colonial service. Race for the first time cheated when was arranged to work as an engineer in Angola. Then he presented a diploma that does not exist ", Oxford Polytechnic University."
In 1924, he learned that some Portuguese bank notes printed in Britain by "Waterloo & Sons. In addition, he found that there is no procedure to check for duplicate bills, and then was born his plan. He chose three accomplices - Karel van Yusselvera Marangu, a Dutch trader and diplomat, Jose Randeyru brother Portuguese minister, and Gustav Hennis, a German businessman. Marangu and Randeyru Reis intended trick. He told them that he has instructed to take the credit for Angola, and has shown a formal contract. On the contract there were forged signatures of the High Commissioner of Angola and the Minister of Finance of Portugal. Of the document quite satisfied, and they agreed to help the Rays.
Karel Marang went to London to negotiate for the printing of banknotes with the head of the firm, William Waterloo. He signed a contract with him, after presenting his letter of recommendation from his brother Jose Randeyry. Marang explained William Waterloo, for political explanation of printing banknotes to happen in secret. Sir William said that he understands everything, but it requires the consent of the head of Portuguese bank. Marang assured him that the necessary paperwork will be obtained immediately from Lisbon.
Over the next few weeks, the documents arrived in the company Waterloo & Sons. Letter to the Portuguese manager of the bank, the contracts signed by the High Commissioner of Angola and the famous Portuguese bankers - Everything was brilliantly spoofed flight.
In a letter to bank manager explained that since the money will be accessed only in Angola, they should be printed with the same forms with the same series and number as the previous release. Sir William said that the Bank of Angola printed word "Angola" on the new banknotes to avoid misunderstandings.
When the money had been printed, Marang took them to Lisbon. With the customs without any issues, as Marang was also a general Consul of Persia in The Hague, enjoying diplomatic immunity.
Rays opened accounts at branches of major banks, but later withdrew the money in other branches. He exchanged the fake banknotes for foreign currency, buying stakes in industrial concerns and in a few months turned into financial magnate. Eventually he was able to open his own bank - the Bank of Angola and the metropolis.
But by June 1925 appearance in the handling of additional 500 escudos banknote has caused rumors of fraud, and Portuguese bank has started an investigation. Fake bank notes passed all tests, but when inspectors checked branch of the Bank of Angola and the Metropolitan in Oporto, they found bundles of new banknotes with the same numbers as the previous series.
The scam was uncovered, and the flight was arrested. But even then he had fabricated documents, from which it followed that the machinations of the Portuguese bank manager is responsible and some of his Directors, and he only became a victim of political conspiracy. These fakes were so convincing that the trial of the fraud was deferred for five years.
But in May 1930, Reiss still found guilty, he was forced to confess all and he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. Bandeira was convicted for the same period. Hennis went to Germany, where he died in 1936, and Marangu tried in The Hague and sentenced to II months in prison for "harboring stolen goods ".
Rays got out of prison in 1945. He wanted to go to Brazil, but this was refused, and he returned to Portugal. He died from a heart attack in 1955 at age 55 - in such poverty that bury themselves wrapped in a sheet, that her son could inherit his only suit.
Source: http://r-sg.ru
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