The mayor and vice president of the chamber of Montalegre, detained on Thursday by the Judicial Police (PJ), resigned this Friday to defend himself before the Criminal Investigation Court (TIC) in Porto, lawyer Ricardo Sa Fernandes revealed.
Vice President David Teixeira’s representative also said: “the defendants will all testify tomorrow” [sábado]” after being this friday “identified”.
Referring to the waiver, the lawyer emphasized that this does not mean “assignment of responsibilities”.
“By the way, the judge could not suspend him from office, the courts cannot suspend those who are politically elected. It was not out of fear of being suspended or acquitted that he took this stance”explained Ricardo Sá Fernandes.
And continued: “David Teixeira, like me, we are sure that we will clarify everything and that this was not necessary. It was not necessary to have exposed him to this whole situation.”
The president of the municipality, Orlando Alves, the vice president, David Teixeira, elected by the PS, and also the chief of staff of the works department of the municipality were arrested Thursday by the PJ, charged with the crimes of criminal association, exploitation, wrongful receipt of advantage, falsification of documents, abuse of power and economic participation in business.
In a statement released Thursday, the judicial police explained that the investigation concerns: “a worldwide volume of public procurement procedures, in the period from 2014 to 2022, suspected of addiction in favor of certain market participants, worth 20 million euros”.
In the statement after leaving the TIC, where the defendants arrived at around 5 p.m., the attorney also assured that he “will be able to demonstrate that David Teixeira had no relationship with any company of his, his family, or anyone else’s.” on his behalf”.
“And we are very confident that he will demonstrate that his conduct as a councilor is uncompromising from a legality and ethical point of view.”he added.
Ricardo Sá Fernandes said he had yet to consult the file, so “the judge agreed to be ready tomorrow” [sábado] this operation”.
In a statement also released Thursday, the municipality of the Vila Real district said that, as part of an investigation related to public procurement processes, the Paços do Concelho building was searched by elements of the PJ, accompanied by prosecutors from the Department. of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP) Regional of Porto.
“This action follows the searches conducted in 2020, with the aim of collecting all evidence that can clarify the investigation and instruction of a process that began and arose from anonymous complaints and in the context of which the President and you Vice Presidents president were already made defendants”he added.
Orlando Alves and David Teixeira took office in the Chamber of Montalegre in 2013 and are currently in their third term. In the 2021 municipal elections in Montalegre, the PS obtained 51.17% of the vote and won four mandates and the PSD three mandates (42.35%).
David Teixeira is also chairman of the Political Committee of the Socialist Party of Montalegre, who was re-elected in October.
The arrests were made as part of the “Alquimia” operation launched by the Northern Directorate of the PJ, together with the Vila Real Criminal Investigation Department, in an investigation titled the Public Prosecutor’s Office – DIAP Porto.
According to the PJ’s statement, dozens of searches were carried out, both at home and away from home, targeting the services of a local government and several companies in the municipalities of Montalegre, Braga, Famalicão and Vila do Conde, with the arrest of the three individuals.
Judicial magistrates and prosecutors attended this operation and involved investigators from the Northern Directorate and the Vila Real and Braga Criminal Police Department, as well as financial and IT experts from various structures of the judicial police.
During the police action, various documents relating to factual practice and computer material with possible evidential value were seized.
The detainees will be present Friday afternoon at the Criminal Investigation Court of Porto, for the first judicial questioning and the application of possible coercive measures.
In March this year, the two mayors were acquitted of the misdemeanor offense for which they were tried by the court of Vila Real, which involved the purchase of an LED advertising panel in 2015.
Source: DN
