Five GNA soldiers from Santa Maria da Feira in the district of Aveiro began to appear in local court this Monday for crimes related to corruption and abuse of power, in particular by remaining silent.
Among the accused are two soldiers suspected of helping the owner of several bars in this municipality to study illegal games, namely poker and blackjack/21, between 2020 and 2022, and even acting as a doorman and croupier.
At the first hearing of the court, the panel of judges heard statements from the inspector of the judicial police (SP), who said that the investigation began with participation in the territorial post of the PPR about “the possible use by some military personnel to receive free food.” , along with some restaurant entrepreneurs.
During telephone interviews, inspectors eventually realized the existence of “parallel activities” by military personnel who used their functions to “obtain some additional professional advantages,” the witness explained.
The inspector also mentioned that there had been several anonymous complaints about the existence of “illegal gambling activities” at the location and that it had “caused social anxiety” as it occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic when there were several restrictions on the movement of people and closed establishments.
The charge sheet from the Ministry of State (MS), which Lusa consulted, said that two suspended soldiers warned the businessman about the checks that the NDP would be carrying out and informed him of the ownership of cars parked nearby. . of their establishments in order to exclude any possible police surveillance.
The two defendants are charged with the offenses of passive corruption, personal favoritism by an employee, aggravated unlawful access, breach of duty of secrecy, unlawful gambling and unlawful gambling, the latter offense being complicity. One of them is also charged with abuse of power, and the other with possession of a prohibited weapon.
The bar owner is being tried for offenses of active corruption, aggravated trespass, breach of duty of secrecy, illegal gambling and illegal gambling.
Three more Feira PNP soldiers are in the dock, accused of crimes related to abuse of power, influence peddling, passive corruption and possession of prohibited weapons. Investigators found that one of these soldiers had inappropriate property (not declared for tax purposes) worth almost 40 thousand euros, which the prosecutor’s office asked to recognize as lost to the state.
The case also names two men and a woman as defendants, facing charges of influence peddling and active corruption.