Former PS mayors of Santo Tirso and Barcelos accused of corruption, malfeasance and other crimes

The Public Ministry (MP) accused the former presidents of the municipal chambers of Santo Tirso and Barcelos, Joaquim Couta and Miguel Costa Gomes, respectively, of corruption, malfeasance and other economic crimes as part of the “Operation Teia” process.

According to the indictment to which Lusa had access, Manuela Souza, then married to the socialist mayor Joaquim Couto and the owner of communications and marketing companies supported by the municipalities involved, was accused of corruption, malfeasance, embezzlement and participation in economic activities. in business.

The former president of the City Council of Barcelos, Domingos Pereira, a Socialist mayor, was accused of 23 malfeasance in office, co-committed with Manuela Sousa, and two crimes related to economic participation in a business, co-committed with the same defendant.

For his part, the former president of the Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto Laranja Pontes was accused of aggravated passive corruption and 18 crimes related to economic participation in business, co-authored with Manuela Souza.

“Operation Teia” focused on a network of political influences created by the former president of the municipality of Santo Tirso and his then-wife Manuela Souza to pressure mayors and those in charge of public institutions to hire, mostly by direct contract, companies from your family Universe.

Median Press, Meath and WGC, the entities charged in this case, were charged with the crime of aggravated active corruption of a political official.

In an indictment issued by the Department of Investigations and Criminal Cases (DIAP) of Porto, the deputy declared the loss of benefits obtained by the defendants Domingos Pereira, Miguel Costa Gomez, Manuela Souza, Joaquim Couto and Laraña Pontes, as well as the Communications and Marketing Companies Defendants in the case for amounts reaching several thousand euros.

“Operação Teia”, an investigation that lasted four years, focused on the municipalities of Santo Tirso and Barcelos, as well as the Portuguese Institute of Oncology (IPO) in Porto, as well as the benefits illegally obtained by Manuela Sousa’s communications and marketing companies, situations that amounted to suspicions of active and passive corruption, economic participation in business, embezzlement, malfeasance and other crimes.

This involved fraudulent interference in competitive and direct award procedures to obtain undue advantage for certain defendants.