PSD MP Pinto Moreira will be heard on Friday in the Criminal Court of Porto on the application of possible coercive measures in the Vortex trial related to corruption in the Espinho chamber.
Interrogated by Lusa, the deputy and former mayor of Espinho, confirmed that he would be heard by a criminal judge “only and only because of the coercive measures proposed by the Ministry of State (MP)”.
The former mayor was prosecuted under Operation Whirlwind after he was heard by public prosecutors from the Ministry of Public Administration (MP) in Porto’s Criminal Court on 24 March.
At that time, Pinto Moreira had only a time limit to prove his identity and residence, but the prosecutor’s office asked for coercive measures to be applied to the defendant in the form of an obligation to provide bail in the amount of 200 thousand euros and a ban on contact with other defendants and witnesses, as well as mayors and municipal officials, a decision that can now be confirmed or not by a criminal judge.
The Department of Investigation and Criminal Affairs of Porto (DIAP) charged Pinta Moreira with two crimes of passive corruption, one of trading in influence and the other of violating city rules, the latter of co-authorship, as part of the Vortex process.
The prosecutor’s indictment, consulted by Lusa, states that the deputy and mayor of Espinho between 2009 and 2021 pledged to defend the interests of the Pessegueiro group, allowing “quick and favorable solutions” in the city processes presented to the municipality, from the very beginning of “City 32”.
According to investigators, on November 27, 2020, after the sale of the property for which Urban 32 was designed, the co-defendant in the case, businessman Francisco Pessegueiro, handed over 50,000 euros to Pinto Moreira in a cafe in Vila Nova de Gaia.
Shortly thereafter, the former mayor also requested 25,000 euros from Francisco Pessegueiro for each “demarche” to be used in the group’s other urban projects, mainly at 32 Nascente (three towers for housing, trade and healthcare) and the Hercules residential building.
Pinto Moreira will also take steps with the Portuguese Environmental Protection Agency (APA) to obtain the necessary positive approval for the construction of the Sky Bay hotel on the sea front, on Rua 2, a project later abandoned.
The deputy says that even after leaving the municipality, Pinto Moreira continued to influence the then head of the municipality’s works department, also accused in the process, so that the above procedures led to the desired result in terms of obtaining the agreed compensation.
The researchers also note that between January and June 2022, the former mayor began to use the influence he had acquired as mayor to condition the National Office of Emergency Management and Civil Protection’s mandatory opinions in the House of Hercules urban planning procedure.
In the same trial, Miguel Reis (PS), who resigned as mayor of Espinho following this investigation and is under house arrest, is also charged with four crimes of passive corruption and five crimes of evasion.
Entrepreneurs Joao Rodriguez, Francisco Pessegueiro and Paulo Malafaya were charged (co-authored) with eight offenses of active corruption, one of trading in influence, five of tax evasion and two of violating city rules.
Another three defendants and five companies were also charged with various economic and financial crimes.
The prosecutor’s office also applied for additional sanctions for the prohibition of the performance of functions by the defendants-employees and the prohibition of the exercise of activity in relation to one of the defendants representing the company.
A preventive seizure of the defendants’ assets was also required to guarantee the amounts derived from criminal activities.
Operation Vortex includes several urban planning processes approved by the Chamber of Espinho that took place between the mandates of Joaquim Pinto Moreira and Miguel Reis.
The Social Democrat demanded a suspension of his mandate at the end of March after being nominated by the arguido, but two months later he announced that he would resume his seat in parliament without notifying the PSD leadership, which ultimately led to him losing his political credibility.
On Tuesday, Pinto Moreira announced that he would step down as SDP MP at the end of the legislative session because “personal and political conditions” would not be met to continue in those functions and protect the party’s integrity.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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