Portuguese media outlets cover the judicial investigation involving Miguel Albuquerque and Pedro Calado.
The investigation that concerns Miguel Albuquerque and Pedro Calado, on suspicion of corruption and other associated crimes involving the highest public and political office holders in the Region, is capturing the attention of not only Madeirans. We have therefore compiled what has been written in the last few hours on this matter in the national media.
A case that started to make news very early, with CNN assuming that there had already been arrests.
According to information collected by Visão magazine, “the investigation by the National Unit Against Corruption focuses on real estate businesses” and that “the searches should also focus on businesspeople and the Regional Government secretariat”.
Correio da Manhã reported that the operation investigates private businesses of the highest executive of the Regional Government, other members of the government and local authorities in Madeira, adding that the mega-operation carried out by around 300 inspectors, in more than 100 searches , also takes place in Lisbon, Braga, Guarda and Coimbra.
According to what a source linked to the process told the Lusa agency, the searches also extend to the Azores, with the same person indicating that in Madeira they are taking place “”in various areas of the Government of Madeira and companies”, but that there are no detainees.
Lusa also recalled the investigation that took place in 2021, related to the award of the Free Trade Zone exploration concession.
“At the origin of this process will be a non-competitive award, in March 2017, to the Madeira Development Society (SDM) for the exploration of the Madeira International Business Center (CINM) and the creation and maintenance of structures in the Industrial Free Zone” , Lusa said, indicating that in June 2017, “Miguel Albuquerque, Machado de Albuquerque, lda, and Andrade de Albuquerque, lda, sold the Quinta do Arco tourist developments to CA Património Crescente, managed by Square Asset Management”.