The former mayor of Tabuazu denies that he paid for work on municipal road 512 that was not completed

The former mayor of Tabuaçu, João Ribeiro, denied this Friday that he received “gloves” as part of the contract for the improvement and asphalting of the municipal road 512, for which the unfinished work was paid for, which caused damage to the municipality.

Speaking this Friday in the court of Viseu, João Ribeiro, who served as president of the municipality from 2009 to 2013, repeated several times that he had never seen either the project or the specifications for the contract, but only signed the notice (prepared by the head of the department) of the publication in Official Gazette on the opening of a public tender.

In addition to the former Socialist President, the then head of the department of urban management and municipal works operation of the chamber (later he headed another division), the Montalvia company, two administrators (father and son) and a civil engineer from this company are also on trial the company (who will become the head works) and another civil engineer, this time not related to the municipality and responsible for supervising the work.

These include possible crimes of active and passive corruption for the aggravated wrongful act of a holder of a political office, fraud in obtaining a subsidy or subsidy, malfeasance on the part of a holder of a political office, and forgery of documents related to a contract for the improvement and paving of Municipal Road 512 between the roundabout at Santa -Leocadia and National Stage 222.

The base price for the work was set at €2.6 million (plus VAT). In May 2011, a contract was signed with Montalvia for the implementation of a project worth about 1.6 million euros (the most economically advantageous offer).

When asked by the chairman of the judging panel if he was surprised by the price difference, João Ribeiro replied that he was not, adding that “nobody thought so,” so much so that the executive director unanimously decided to approve the offer that was made by the competition jury.

The project was submitted to public funds and the application was approved at a meeting of the ON.2 (Northern Regional Operational Programme) Directing Committee.

João Ribeiro stated in court that his duties also did not include examining the application, this was the task of the head of the unit, the only one who had access to the password to enter the electronic platform.

“The President should not interfere in this area, which is purely technical,” he said.

According to the State Ministry, João Ribeiro and two businessmen from Montalvia (father and son) developed a scheme for changes to the originally planned works, which brought economic benefits to the company, and in return the mayor received in cash “at least 25,500 euros” to pay the down payment for a Mercedes car.

“I am a very serious and honest person. This is evil in all aspects,” said João Ribeiro, adding that he always felt that the enterprise was being carried out legally and that “everything was in order” given the experience of the head of the unit, whom he trusted.

The defendant stated that all the complaints against him refer to the “gloves” he received when purchasing the car, which are always the same.

However, he assured that the car for 55 thousand euros was bought with money from his savings and the savings of his wife (both teachers and inspectors of the Main Inspectorate of Education and Science), to which he added a little more, donated by his father-in-law. law and father, signing a long-term lease, which he paid twice.

Joao Ribeiro assured that he had never had a time deposit in the bank and that his savings were kept at his wife’s home, in a place that even he did not know about.

The trial will continue on May 14.

About two years ago, João Ribeiro was sentenced by the Viseu court to one sentence of five years and four months in prison for malfeasance, economic participation in business and abuse of power in a case related to the construction of a hotel in Tabuaçu.