MEP Alvaro Amaro was sentenced this Thursday to three years and six months in prison with probation for malfeasance as an official in the process of setting up a public-private partnership with MRG Engineering Solutions during the mandate of the mayor of Gouveia between 2007 and 2011 year. He will still have to pay the state 25,000 euros. “This is an unjust verdict, like any other verdict other than an acquittal, and for this reason it is subject to appeal,” said lawyer Carlos Peixoto. The same punishment was applied to Luis Tadeu, the current mayor of Gouveia and Vice President at the time of the events.
There are a total of nine defendants in the trial, four of whom are linked to the PSD, one of whom was acquitted. Julio Sarmento, former president of the municipality of Trancoso, received the most severe sentence. He was sentenced to seven years in prison for crimes of passive corruption, tax evasion and money laundering. You still have to return about 550 thousand euros.
Fernando Gouveia, the businessman in charge of the MRG, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison for active corruption and evasion.