Part VI
Mutual legal assistance in criminal matters
CHAPTER III
Special forms of international assistance
Article 159
Handing over of property, valuables, documents or files
1. At the request of the competent foreign authorities, any property, in particular documents or valuables, the seizure of which is consistent with the Portuguese law, may be put at the disposal of those authorities if they are relevant to the criminal proceedings.
2. Any proceeds from an offence may be returned to their owners regardless of criminal proceedings having been instituted in the requesting State.
3. Criminal files or other records which are of importance to criminal proceedings pending in a foreign State may be handed over to the competent authorities of that State, provided that they shall be returned within the time-limit fixed by the competent Portuguese authorities.
4. The handing over of any property, valuables, documents or criminal files may be delayed if they are required in connection with pending criminal proceedings.
5. Authenticated copies of the documents or files requested may be handed over instead of the originals; however, should the foreign authority expressly request the transmission of originals, the request shall as far as possible be complied with if the condition for their restitution provided in paragraph 3 above is met.
Article 160
Proceeds, objects and instrumentalities
1. At the request of a competent foreign authority, steps may be taken in order to trace the proceedings of an allegedly committed offence; the results thereof shall be communicated to the requesting authority.
2. The foreign authority must state the grounds on which it deems that such proceedings might be located in Portugal.
3. The Portuguese authority shall take such steps as are necessary in order to enforce any decision of a foreign court imposing the confiscation of proceeds from an offence; the provisions of Part IV shall apply mutatis mutandis.
4. When the foreign authority communicates its intention to request the enforcement of any decision as mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the Portuguese authority may take such steps as are consistent with the Portuguese law in order to prevent any dealing in, transfer or disposal of property which at a later stage shall be, or may be, the subject of that decision.
5. The provisions of this Article also apply to objects and instrumentalities of an offence.
EDIT.