Pinto Moreira banned from contact with defendants and witnesses of Operation Whirlwind

PSD MP Pinto Moreira was banned this Friday from contacting defendants, witnesses and officials of the Espinho Chamber, one of the coercive measures requested by the public ministry as part of Operation Whirlwind.

The former mayor of Espinho was heard this Friday at the Criminal Investigation Court (TIC) of Porto at the request of the State Ministry, which defended the obligation to provide a guarantee of 200 thousand euros and a ban on contact with other defendants, witnesses, mayors and municipal officials, a claim that was only partially confirmed by the criminal judge.

After analyzing the evidence collected during the process, this court ruled that the defendant is subject to the condition already indicated in the case file regarding the identity and place of residence and, in the aggregate, the obligation not to contact either directly or through an intermediary with other defendants and witnesses of the process.

It is also forbidden to contact anyone who has political functions in the municipality of Espinho and/or employees of this municipality.

In a press release, the court points to three arguments that formed the basis of the decision on this coercive measure against the defendant Pinto Moreira, who, starting with the underline, “is strictly charged with the offenses of passive corruption with aggravated circumstances, trading in influence and violating city rules by an employee.”

This decision also contributed to the fact that it was a matter of crimes punishable by imprisonment and that, in the understanding of the prosecution judge, the danger of disruption of the investigation and, in particular, the danger to the preservation or credibility of evidence and to the continuation of criminal activity or a “serious” disturbance of public order and peace was specifically checked.

Finally, ongoing efforts related to possible illicit property gains resulting from the alleged commission of the crimes with which he is accused were also assessed.

In March, Joaquim Pinto Moreira, who was the mayor of Espinho from 2009 to 2021, was accused in the context of this process related to corruption in this municipality after being heard by the Department of Investigations and Regional Criminal Affairs (DIAP) of Porto.

At that time, the least burdensome measure of coercion was applied to the former mayor – the period of identification and residence.

As part of the Vortex trial, Pinto Moreira is accused of two offenses of passive corruption, one of influence peddling and the other of violating city rules, the latter of co-authorship.

The indictment, seen by Lusa, says MP Pinto Moreira pledged to defend the interests of the Pessegueiro group by allowing “quick and favorable decisions” in the city’s trials presented to the municipality from the very beginning of the “City 32”.

According to the investigation, 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 the Social Democrat in a cafe in Vila Nova de Gaia.

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.

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.

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.