The President of the Government of Madeira (PSD/CDS-PP), Miguel Albuquerque, said on Monday that the Commission of Inquiry into the region’s alleged “fabricated works” was important in clarifying public opinion on issues that had been “politically manipulated” . . .
“That [a comissão de inquérito] It was very good to have a clear, very conclusive, clarification and explanation to the public opinion on these issues, which were publicly discussed in a biased or politically manipulated way.”he declared.
Miguel Albuquerque spoke to journalists on the sidelines of a visit to Fábrica de Mel do Ribeiro Seco, in Funchal, where he reacted to the news put forward by DN/Madeira on Monday, indicating that the report of the Commission of Inquiry, which will be presented and voted on Tuesday in the regional parliament, exempts the executive council from favoritism towards economic groups.
According to the Madeiran morning newspaper, the Commission of Inquiry also concluded that no government officials were dismissed at the request of companies and that they did not exercise any control over the Madeiran media.
On the other hand, the report criticizes the leader and deputy of the PS/Madeira, Sérgio Gonçalves, who is part of the committee, for omitting in the declaration of interests that at the time of the facts assessed he held a management position in the Sousa Group , one of the targets of the investigation.
“I think this commission was very important in clarifying for public opinion a series of issues that were intertwined and manipulated by public opinion, especially port operations, the boat to Porto Santo, public works”said Miguel Albuquerque.
The Commission of Inquiry was based on a request of a potentative nature submitted by the PS/Madeira faction, the largest political force of the opposition (it occupies 19 of the 47 seats in the Chamber).
The socialists were planning the “favoring economic groups by the regional government, by the president of the regional government and regional secretaries and fabricated works, given the confession of the former regional secretary Sérgio Marques, in statements to Diário de Notícias, prone to forming the practice of various crimes”.
At stake were allegations by Sérgio Marques, in statements to the Diário de Notícias published on January 15, of “works invented from 2000 onwards”, when Alberto João Jardim (PSD) was president of the Madeiran executive, and economic groups that grew with the “Garden Finger”.
The Social Democrat, who also served in the first government of Miguel Albuquerque (PSD) as Regional Secretary for European and Parliamentary Affairs between 2015 and 2017, and was a PSD deputy in the Assembly of the Republic at the time of the statements for the circle of Madeira, he also stated that he was removed from office due to the influence of a major economic group in the region.
In the context of the commission, businessmen Avelino Farinha (Grupo AFA) and Luís Miguel Sousa (Grupo Sousa) and former regional secretary Sérgio Marques were heard.
The current President of the Madeiran Executive Branch (PSD/CDS-PP), Miguel Albuquerque, was also called to testify, but chose to answer questions in writing.
Under the chairmanship of the social democrat Adolfo Brazão, the parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into “invented works” in Madeira consisted of four deputies from the PSD, one from the CDS-PP, three from the PS and one from the PCP, with the JPP waiving its representation. .
Source: DN
