The vice-president of the city council of Vila Nova de Gaia was arrested on Tuesday as part of a Judicial Police (PJ) mega-operation to combat urban planning corruption schemes by the municipalities of Gayense and Porto. . A total of eight people were arrested, 12 defendants were charged. “Euro 300 million real estate shares” are at stake, PJ said in a statement.
Patroquinio Azevedo, 48, is Vice President of the House of Gaia, leader of the PS council since 2013 and is listed as a future candidate for the Gaia Municipal Council since Eduardo Vitor Rodríguez, the current president, cannot serve under the term limit law.
In this operation, called “Babylon”, the JV also conducted two members of the Chamber of Porto what to cm found, there will be no members of the executive branch and a civil builder. were also arrested two businessmen, lawyer Joao Lopez and official of the Northern Regional Directorate of Culture. All eight detainees are charged with “crimes of obtaining or offering an undue advantage, active and passive corruption, evasion and abuse of power committed by an official or a person holding a political office.”
ABOUT cm it is known that one of the arrested businessmen is Paulo Malafaya, who had already been arrested as part of Operation Whirlwind, which resulted in the arrest and provisional detention of the mayor of Espinho, Miguel Reis. At that time, Malafay was released on bail of 100,000 euros. Malafay was suspected of corruption and participation in a criminal scheme for real estate transactions and direct agreements with the Espinho Chamber.
Now the businessman is suspected of having the same scheme with Câmara de Gaia and financial compensation will be given to the vice president of the municipality, Patrosinio Azevedo.
Another arrested businessman is Elad Dror, CEO of Fortera Group. The group was preparing to build the largest building in Portugal in Vila Nova de Gaia at a cost of around 150 million euros. This group was already involved in Operation Whirlwind, which investigated cases of corruption in the Espinho Chamber. At that time the group was injured.
According to a press release from the judiciary, 55 searches were conducted in residential and non-residential premises. ABOUT cm about ten arrest warrants are known to have been issued, but not all suspects have been located.
The JV clarifies that “the operation is based on an investigation aimed at identifying and gathering evidence of the practice of corrupt practices, as well as repeated violations of public procurement procedures in certain areas of activity, in order to benefit from certain economic operators.”
PJ also adds that the investigation focuses on “violation of the rules and regulations of the city’s licensing processes in favor of developers associated with projects of high density and scale”, and “real estate interests of the order of 300 million euros are at stake, through the offer and acceptance cash reward.”
confiscated cell phones
Police confiscated cell phones at Porto City Hall Pedro Bagaña, City Council Member for Urban Planningit’s from Sandra Salazar, head Architectural and urban assessment. They’re two targets of this operation, but they won’t have an arrest warrant hanging over them.
Searches in houses began at 7:30, and in the city hall – at 9:00. Searches are also being carried out in several municipal buildings. In Gaia, searches are also being carried out at the municipal assistance services, where the services of the municipal company Gairurb, which is responsible for urban planning and housing construction, operate.
The Metro do Porto was also searched.
This operation involved magistrates from the regional DIAP, 130 criminal investigators from the Northern Directorate, and information technology and finance experts from the SP. Documentary and digital elements were removed.
The detainees will be present at the Criminal Court of Porto for the first judicial interrogation and application of coercive measures.
Operation Babylon in numbers
8 Detainees (including Deputy Mayor of Gaia)
12 Defendants
55 house search
130 criminal investigators from PJ Porto participated
300 Millions of euros for real estate
Author: David Monteiro, Ana Silva Monteiro This Tanya Orange
Source: CM Jornal
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