The Chamber of Funchal this Wednesday rejected the JPP/Madeira accusation that it has spent more than one million euros on travel between 2022 and 2023, verifying that since taking office it has spent 45 thousand euros on this type of expenditure.
“Since taking office in October 2021 until this Wednesday, the office of the President and Councilor of the City Council of Funchal has spent 45 thousand, 62 euros and four cents on travel, much less (20 times less) than the million euros mentioned. JPP and parliamentary leader Elvio Souza,” the municipality said in a statement.
This Wednesday, at a press conference in Funchal, JPP leader Elvio Sousa criticized the “expendable income” of the Chamber of Funchal (PSD/CDS-PP) and accused the municipal executive of spending more than one million euros on travel from 2022 to 2023.
A note from the office of the President of the Chamber of Funchal states that the municipality has for several years had “contracts for the provision of services with tourism companies, awarded as a result of public tenders”, which are valid for two years and provide for a maximum amount of expenses.
Only after the end of the contract “can the actual amount spent be verified,” it adds.
According to the municipality, when the current executive director took office in October 2021, there was an agreement valid from 1 January 2020 to December 2021, concluded by the previous council with the coalition led by the PS, in the amount of 375 thousand euros. .
“In reality, the current advisers spent 3,677.76 euros from this contract,” the note says.
In 2022, a new public tender was announced, “due to the expiration of the previous one, awarded in the amount of 200 thousand euros, of this amount, 40,715.35 euros were spent,” indicates the Chamber of Funchal.
Subsequently, in December 2023, “the chamber appointed a new procedure through a public tender and again due to the expiration of the previous one for three years in the amount of 330 thousand euros, of which it used only the residual amount.” (668.93 euros).”
“The Funchal City Council does not understand how the leader of the JPP parliamentary group, who will certainly be consulted and informed on the topics he touches on, chose to cast an anathema of suspicion on those who hold executive council positions in the Funchal City Council, without first ascertaining the veracity of them statements,” the municipality adds, confirming that it has not received any official request from the party to provide any documents regarding these expenses.
At a press conference, Elvio Souza spoke about four contracts with tourism-related companies that appear on the Base.Gov portal and which “confirm unequivocally that in two years Pedro Calado and Cristina Pedra spent more than one million euros from the residents of Funchal on travel and accommodation.”
The leader of the JPP also noted that the party asked this Wednesday from the mayor of Funchal, Cristina Pedra, “all the expenses that confirm this million euros for trips, especially and especially those in which Pedro Calado can boast of luxury, wealth and faust, with luxury cars” . (Bentley) and in the company of information directors” from Madeira.
Pedro Calado presided over the Funchal Chamber until earlier this week, formalizing his request to resign from his post on Monday. The leadership of the municipality was then taken over by Cristina Pedra, who was still vice-president.
The former president of the Chamber of Funchal was one of three detained on January 24 as part of an investigation linked to signs of corruption. Others detained are Custodio Correia, the main shareholder of a group linked to the construction industry Socicorreia, and Avelino Fariña of the AFA group.
According to the joint venture, we are talking about suspicions of active and passive corruption, economic participation in business, malfeasance, receiving or offering undue advantages, abuse of power and influence trading.
The operation also affected the president of the regional government (PSD/CDS-PP), Miguel Albuquerque, who was named as a defendant and announced his resignation from his position on Monday.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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