The former president of the Union of the parishes of Sé, Santa Maria and Meixedo José Pires begins trial on the 18th for allegedly paying more than ten thousand euros for personal expenses with the money of the municipality of Bragança.
José Pires was between 2013 and 2017 president of the most populous parish in the Bragança region, with over 21,000 voters, more than most municipalities in the region, and, according to an accusation to which Lusa had access, in the last two years of his mandate, “he devised a scheme for the purpose of his own personal enrichment.”
The former mayor was elected by the PSD, the party that presented another candidate in the 2017 municipal elections, while José Pires ran in the “Força da União” movement and is currently the district leader of the Chega party in Bragança. region.
União de Freguesias’s successor, Social Democrat Telmo Afonso, announced an audit of the autarchy accounts, but ended up referring suspicious cases to the public prosecutor’s office on the recommendation of the Commission for Coordination and Regional Development. North (CCDR-N) and after the Inspector General of Finance (IGF) stated that it could not be done.
A prosecutor’s investigation resulted in an indictment that led to a trial that began on January 18, in which José Pires was charged with abuse of power.
The former mayor is accused of “damaging the state treasury” for 10,480 euros and “due to this, he received a property benefit in the same amount.”
The indictment alleges that José Pires ordered “to make payments for personal benefit by reimbursing the various sums he spent on the purchase of consumer goods and services of a personal nature.”
The prosecutor’s office says that “food and fuel are at stake without substantiating such expenses”, since he received 529 euros per month in hospitality expenses as chairman of the parish council.
According to the reports of the State Ministry, in the performance of these public functions, the defendant ordered the services to reimburse the total amount of 20,741 euros.
“However, from such a global amount in 2016 and 2017, the defendant ordered and obtained reimbursement of extrabudgetary expenses in the amount of 8,548 euros, which, unlike others, did not provide any grounds and justifications,” the document says. indictment.
In the specific case concerning food, the investigation also concluded that the defendant had received EUR 1,795 corresponding to 30 meals and that he had simultaneously taken advantage of the food subsidy, allegedly receiving EUR 128 improperly.
The former mayor is also accused of receiving 1,803 euros for “expenses related to the supply of fuel in his private life.”
The amounts established by the prosecutor’s office amount to 10,480 euros, which the prosecutor’s office considers “property advantage obtained as a result of criminal activity” and asks to be returned and considered lost in favor of the state.
Lusa contacted the former mayor, who declined to make a statement, citing court explanations.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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