The defense of the former director of MAI will appeal the verdict

The defense of former Interior Ministry (MAI) director of infrastructure João Alberto Correia announced on Tuesday that he will appeal to the Lisbon Court of Appeal against his conviction on Monday.

“Of course we will appeal. We have a deadline of 75 days, that is until January,” lawyer Rogerio Alves told Lusa, reacting to the 800-page ruling that sentenced João Alberto Correia to seven years and nine months in prison freedom. prison for economic participation in business, abuse of power and falsification of documents.

In this trial, a repetition of which was ordered by the Lisbon Court of Appeal for evidentiary reasons, João Alberto Correia was in turn acquitted of the crimes of corruption and money laundering of which the prosecutor’s office had accused him. .

João Alberto Correia, who was in custody between April 30, 2014 and April 30, 2015, and under house arrest with an electronic bracelet from April 30, 2015 to March 10, 2016, is now sentenced to seven years and nine months imprisonment freedom. imprisonment, with the additional penalty being a ban on performing his or her role for a period of five years.

The court, composed of judges Claudia Melo Graça, Nuno Díaz Costa and Helena Susano, also found that the former CEO of MAI had a “non-compliant asset” of more than 432 thousand euros, which was declared lost in favor of the state in the ruling.

Several remaining defendants in this case related to economic and financial crimes were also convicted.

At the first trial in this case, João Correia was sentenced in April 2018 to a single sentence of seven years’ imprisonment for economic involvement in a business, abuse of power and falsification of documents, as well as payment of civil compensation in the amount of 585 pence. thousand euros and deprivation of the right to hold public office for a period of five years.

On appeal, the Lisbon court overturned the effective prison sentence of João Correia and the suspended sentences of the other defendants. The case had to be returned to the first instance for a new trial.

At issue is an allegation that the former director of the Office of Internal Administrative Infrastructure directly awarded public works to companies owned by people in his circle of personal and professional friends, violating legal rules and procedures and failing to respect public procurement laws.

João Alberto Correia arrived at the Directorate General of Infrastructure and Equipment (DGIE) of the Ministry of the Interior in 2011 and, according to the Ministry of the Interior, collected thousands of euros over three years for himself, a large group of friends and others. .state money.

According to the indictment, through contracting, João Alberto Correia negotiated contracts worth 5.9 million euros during his time at DGIE.