Operation Perfect Storm led to the arrest of three senior Defense Ministry officials.

Launched on Tuesday by the Judicial Police (PJ) in cooperation with the Public Ministry (MP), Operation Perfect Storm resulted in five arrests, including three senior Defense Department officials and two businessmen, in addition to the constitution of 19 defendants.

A source connected to the investigation confirmed to Lusa that former director general of National Defense Resources (DGRDN) Alberto Coelho, director of the Infrastructure and Heritage Service Francisco Marquez, and former director of finance of the Ministry of National Defense Paulo Branco are three high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Defense who were detained by the authorities.

“A criminal investigation is at stake, the purpose of which is to investigate the possible practices of, among other things, crimes of active and passive corruption, embezzlement, economic involvement in business, abuse of power and money laundering, illegal actions related to judicial decisions. body of the central administration to several companies that caused damage to the Portuguese state for many thousands of euros,” the joint venture said in a statement.

Led by the CP National Anti-Corruption Unit and the Department of Investigations and Criminal Affairs (DIAP) in Lisbon, the operation, which also took place in Porto, Alter do Chau, Almada and Comporte, resulted in 59 search warrants (29 in houses). and 30 without a permanent residence) aimed at “gathering additional evidence related to alleged criminal acts in the performance of public functions.”

In a memo released to the media this afternoon, the Ministry of National Defense confirmed the presence of the SP and MP at its facilities and at the General Directorate of National Defense Resources as part of an investigation into actions taken between 2018 and 2021.

Alberto Coelho, who served as director of the DGRDN from January 2015 to February 2021, was already fined €15,300 this year by the Court of Accounts (TdC) after he did not challenge the MP’s request in a lawsuit with this instance, in which he was charged with six financial violations and liability for the backlog of expenses for the re-qualification of the military hospital in Belen.

At stake are costs of around €3.2 million for a contract to convert the former Belém military hospital in Lisbon into a support center for COVID-19 patients, with an initial work budget of €750,000.

The backlog was revealed in a 2020 inspection by the General Inspectorate for National Defense (IGDN), which targeted Alberto Coelho’s work, noting among other things “lack of competence (…) to authorize spending”. The Ministry of National Defense has already sent the MP in August 2021 an IGDN report on the cost reduction for the re-qualification of the former military hospital of Belen.

After Tuesday’s operation, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, considered that the results of the investigation involving the Ministry of National Defense should be expected “calmly, without formulating preliminary judgments.”

“Justice must work if there is to be a judicial investigation, criminal or non-criminal investigation, this investigation must be carried out, whether in any department or with anyone. And we will wait for the results of these investigations. calmly, without articulating prejudices,” he said.

“If there really is a matter for investigation, investigate it,” added Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, dismissing any inconvenience associated with this operation as the supreme commander of the armed forces: “Anything that should clarify the constitutionality, legality, ethics in the armed forces, in management of the Armed Forces is fundamental.