Those detained as part of the mega-operation in Madeira were interrogated on Friday in Lisbon

Three people detained in a corruption investigation in Madeira are expected to be heard on Friday at Lisbon’s Central Criminal Court, a judicial source told Lusa.

The same source warned that a strike by judicial staff without minimum services was planned for the same day, which could jeopardize investigations.

The defendants will be heard for the first judicial examination and the application of coercive measures.

The mayor of Funchal, Pedro Calado (NSD), and two managers associated with the construction group AFA are the three detained as part of the searches that the Judicial Police (PJ) carried out this Wednesday throughout the country.

“The steps taken are aimed at collecting additional evidence in order to consolidate investigations into crimes of active and passive corruption, economic participation in entrepreneurship, malfeasance, obtaining or offering an undue advantage, abuse of power and abuse of influence,” the statement said. released by the Judicial Police (PJ).

According to the same information, as part of three investigations carried out by the Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Affairs (DCIAP), 130 searches were carried out in and outside homes in Madeira (Funchal, Câmara de Lobos, Machico and Ribeira Brava). , in Greater Lisbon (Oeiras, Linda a Velha, Porto Salvo, Bucelas and Lisbon), in Braga, Porto, Paredes, Aguiar da Beira and Ponta Delgada (Azores).

The arrests took place off-site at 2:15 p.m., the SP added, without disclosing the identity of those arrested or the location of the arrests.

“The said investigations are investigating what may be considered possible illegal practices associated with the awarding of government contracts for the acquisition of goods and services in exchange for the financing of private activities; suspicions of sponsorship of private activities in exchange for support and interference in the award of competitive procedures to specific commercial companies; the awarding of public contracts for civil engineering works to the illegal benefit of specific commercial companies and to the detriment of other competitors, with a serious distortion of public procurement rules, in exchange for the financing of activities of a political nature and personal expenses,” explains the judicial police.

The police operation involved two criminal investigation judges, six judges from the State Ministry DCIAP and six members of the Technical Advisory Center (NAT) of the Attorney General’s Office, as well as 270 criminal investigators and experts from the SP.

This morning, the residence of the President of the Executive Miguel Albuquerque (NSD) was also searched, Lusa discovered at the scene. The executive leader left home at 12 noon and went to the regional government presidium in Quinta Vigia in Funchal, canceling the public agenda scheduled for 9:45.