The investigation that led the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) to accuse the former mayor of Caminha Miguel Alves of subterfuge originated “in an anonymous complaint” and not in any other process, the regional prosecutor general of Porto (PGRP) clarified on Tuesday ).
In a note published on its website, the PGRP explains that the survey “it started with an anonymous complaint and not, contrary to what was accidentally sent by the regional prosecutor general of Porto, in a certificate taken from another process”🇧🇷
The clarification comes after the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) responded to various media outlets on Thursday that the investigation “originated in a certificate from the so-called ‘Operação Teia'”🇧🇷
According to the MP, Miguel Alves violated public procurement rules for acquiring services.
The indictment, which the Lusa office had access to, alleges that the defendant – who resigned as assistant secretary of state to the prime minister after learning of the subterfuge allegation – agreed with businesswoman Manuela Couto, also accused of the same crime, communications consultancy services “without any public procurement procedure”.
The indictment states that the process originated in a anonymous complaint filed on the DCIAP Portal [Departamento Central de Investigação e Ação Penal]🇧🇷 on July 3, 2019, noting that the then mayor of Caminha, Miguel Alves, “fourth several contracts with the company MIT — Make It Happen, Branding Comunicacional, Lda, a company owned by businesswoman Manuela Couto”in 2015 and in 2016.
According to the prosecution, in 2014, Miguel Alves and Manuela Couto “maintaining contacts with a view to communication, image management and communication advice to the municipality by the companies MIT and Mediana”owned and controlled by the accused.
The indictment states that during a meeting on July 4, 2014 at Caminha Town Hall, Miguel Alves and Manuela Couto agreed that one of the companies “I would immediately start giving communication advice to the municipality”🇧🇷
The Member of Parliament says that at least during the month of July 2014 and from that date, the Defendant Manuela Couto “established that employees of its companies, namely MT and Mediana, provide press and promotional services for the Municipality of Caminha, which she did with the knowledge and consent of Defendant Miguel Alves”🇧🇷
“These communication and advisory services were effectively provided by the two companies MIT and Mediana (…), but without any formal, contractual or accounting framework, namely without any external request, expense note or order note or equivalent document, with a view to on the billing of services provided by companies to the municipality, which was known to the defendant Miguel Alves”maintains the accusation.
The Member of Parliament states that, “only on March 30, 2015, when the defendant Miguel Alves was established, and then already proven” services by MIT and Mediana to the municipality, “without any recruitment process or legal or documentary support”is that the then president of this municipality in the district of Viana do Castelo “determined and provoked the start of the public procurement procedure”.
The defendants are jointly accused of subterfuge by a political office holder.
Manuela Couto, wife of the former mayor of Santo Tirso Joaquim Couto, is being tried in the “Operação Éter” trial, in connection with illegal contracts entered into by the Tourism of Porto and Northern Portugal (TPNP) entity, with 29 defendants and about 150 economic crimes.
Source: DN
