Former owner of Prebuild ends personal insolvency and pays 57.8 thousand euros for debts to Novobanco of 393 millionPhoto by Malcoln Oliveira on Pexels
Business

Former owner of Prebuild ends personal insolvency and pays 57.8 thousand euros for debts to Novobanco of 393 million

Jornal Económico28 August 2026 at 11:34

João Gama Leão, former owner of Prebuild and one of the biggest debtors of BES, is about to see his personal insolvency closed. The sale of his assets allowed gathering only 57,800 euros, against claimed credits of 392.7 million euros.

Novobanco, the main creditor, should receive just over 13 thousand euros, while the Tax Authority, with 12.5 million euros in recognized credits, should recover about 26 thousand euros. Montepio, CGD and BBVA will also have reduced recoveries.

Gama Leão was declared insolvent in 2017, after the collapse of the Prebuild group, which had grown with strong reliance on BES financing. In 2021, in a parliamentary inquiry committee into Novobanco, he stated that he had gone into debt to expand and internationalize companies and considered himself a "victim of GES and Novobanco".

João Gama Leão, antigo dono da Prebuild e um dos maiores devedores do BES, está prestes a ver encerrada a sua insolvência pessoal. A venda dos seus bens permitiu reunir apenas 57.800 euros, face a créditos reclamados de 392,7 milhões de euros, avança o jornal Expresso esta sexta-feira.

O Novobanco, principal credor, deverá receber pouco mais de 13 mil euros, enquanto a Autoridade Tributária, com 12,5 milhões de euros de créditos reconhecidos, deverá recuperar cerca de 26 mil euros. Também Montepio, CGD e BBVA terão recuperações reduzidas.

Gama Leão foi declarado insolvente em 2017, após o colapso do grupo Prebuild, que tinha crescido com forte recurso ao financiamento do BES. Em 2021, numa comissão parlamentar de inquérito ao Novobanco, afirmou ter-se endividado para expandir e internacionalizar empresas e considerou-se uma “vítima do GES e do Novobanco”.

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