The president of the PSD defended this Saturday that the continuation of Pinto Moreira as a deputy in the Assembly of the Republic “is only for him to define”, emphasizing that for the party that parliamentarian “was not in office”.
“I have already had the opportunity to publicly announce that this deputy was not in office by decision of the party leadership, this is public and known,” Luís Montenegro said in Porto when faced with the continuation of Pinto Moreira. as a substitute.
The deputy elected by the PSD Joaquim Pinto Moreira was accused, in the context of the Vórtex operation, of aggravated passive corruption, influencing and violation of urban rules by an official in the Vórtex process, related to urban projects of the Espinho City Council .
The Social Democrat asked for his term of office to be suspended at the end of March after being named a defendant, but two months later he announced that he would resume his seat in parliament without informing the PSD leadership, ultimately affecting his political withdrew confidence – meaning the Social Democrats’ views were not expressed – although it remains in two committees.
“At the moment it is known that we have taken away the political trust of that deputy for some time. There is no change in that area, there is a mandate that at the moment depends solely and solely on the person in question,” Montenegro stressed.
“I can’t decide on his behalf. If I were the one who decided, I wouldn’t be in parliament, but I’m not the one who decides,” he concluded.
In the same trial, Miguel Reis (PS), who resigned as mayor of Espinho following this investigation and who is under house arrest, is also charged with four crimes of passive corruption and five of subterfuge.
Entrepreneurs João Rodrigues, Francisco Pessegueiro and Paulo Malafaia were charged (in co-authorship) with eight crimes of active corruption, one of influence, five of subterfuge and two of violation of urban rules.
Three other defendants and five companies were also charged with various economic and financial crimes.
Operation Vortex involves several urban planning processes approved by the Espinho Chamber that have passed between the mandates of Joaquim Pinto Moreira and Miguel Reis.
Source: DN
