DCIAP suspects that political office holders from the Regional Government and Funchal Chamber favored economic groups
The Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DCIAP) reveals that investigations linked to the Autonomous Region of Madeira focus, above all, on the area of public procurement, “essentially on the high number of works contracts concluded by the Regional Government of Madeira and several public entities with companies in the region”, with “several dozen awards in public tenders involving at least several hundred million euros” being at stake.
As part of three investigations led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) of the DCIAP, search efforts are being carried out to identify and seize documents and other means of evidence of interest for the investigation of suspected crimes, the judicial body said in a press release .
It is noted that home and non-home searches were ordered in around 60 locations (approximately 130 warrants), 45 of these locations in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (RAM) and that the DCIAP MP also ordered the arrest of three suspects, for presentation for first interrogation judicial and application of coercive measures.
The DCIAP reports that there are “suspicions that holders of political positions in the Regional Government of Madeira and the Municipal Council of Funchal have unduly favored some societies/groups to the detriment of others or, in some cases, that they have exercised influence with this objective”.
Real estate and tourism projects in the spotlight of research
DCIAP adds that it is also under investigation “a set of projects recently approved in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, linked to the areas of real estate and tourism, which involve regional public procurement and/or authorizations and opinions to be issued by regional members and municipal authorities, which are suspected of favoring the selected contractors and concessionaires, of violating legal territorial planning instruments and public contract rules, in some cases with the sole purpose of masking direct contracts from awarded companies”.
Without ever mentioning the economic groups in question, DCIAP notes that the investigation also includes suspicions about awards and contracts between the Regional Government and a construction company.
Suspicions of payment to a construction and engineering company
The DCIAP reveals the existence of “suspicions of payment by the Regional Government of Madeira to a construction and engineering company in the region of high amounts under cover of a judicial transaction in a process in which the appearance of a dispute between the parties was created, as well as suspicions regarding the awarding by the Regional Government of Madeira of public contracts for civil construction works in relation to which the Court of Auditors raised doubts and requested clarifications”.
Actions aimed at conditioning press freedom
The investigation also focuses on “actions that aim to condition/avoid the publication of news that is harmful to the image of the Regional Government in newspapers in the region, in ways that are likely to constitute a violation of press freedom”, indicates the DCIAP.
It adds that under investigation is also “benefits obtained by holders of political positions, because of these functions, which go beyond what is socially acceptable”.
Investigation lists 8 crimes at stake in this mega-process
At issue are facts that occurred from 2015 onwards, likely to constitute crimes of attack against the rule of law, malfeasance, undue receipt of an advantage, passive corruption, active corruption, economic participation in business, abuse of powers and influence peddling.
Participating in the searches are six magistrates from the DCIAP MP, two judges, eight specialists from the Technical Support Center (NAT) of the Attorney General’s Office and a large number of inspectors, IT technicians and experts from the Financial and Accounting Expertise Unit of the Judicial Police .
The investigations have been carried out in close and permanent coordination with the Judiciary Police, which assists the MP in these investigations.