What an absolute joke this Island is becoming, and Albuquerque is still wandering freely.
The Judicial Police (PJ) increased the number of arrests to eight in the context of an operation carried out today in the Autonomous Region of Madeira related to suspicions of economic and financial crime, which includes mayors and businessmen among those arrested.
An official source from the PJ clarified to Lusa that the eighth person detained is a businessman.
The operation also aimed to execute 43 home and non-home search warrants, according to a statement from the PJ in the early afternoon, which mentioned only seven arrests.
The issue at hand is suspicion of committing the crimes of economic participation in business, receiving or offering undue advantages, prevarication and prohibited financing of political parties.
The detainees, according to the PJ, are mayors, businesspeople, public servants, holders of political office and high-ranking public officials.
Two of the searches were carried out in municipal headquarters and four in regional secretariats.
According to the same source, this investigation was launched in 2020 by the National Anti-Corruption Unit and the Criminal Investigation Department of Madeira and focuses “on conduct considered to be highly organized crime”.
A judicial source also told Lusa that this investigation is related to the searches and arrests carried out at the beginning of the year on the island of Madeira, which involved among the suspects the president of the Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque, and the then mayor of Funchal, Pedro Calado.
“At issue are contracts awarded by regional public entities, through their representatives, political office holders and employees, to companies controlled by a single individual, as well as other companies managed by people with whom he has friendly relations, in violation of the rules of public tenders”, states a note released by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR).
The same note adds that at least 25 bribes carried out between 2014 and 2020 are being investigated, totaling more than one million euros (excluding VAT)
“Also under investigation are suspicions of simulated procedures and inflated costs in procedures awarded in order to settle debts of a political party resulting from an electoral campaign”, indicated the PGR regarding an investigation that is being carried out in the Lisbon Regional Department of Investigation and Criminal Prosecution and is under judicial secrecy.
The operation is called “AB INITIO” and mobilized 110 members of the PJ, four prosecutors from the Public Ministry, two judges from the Funchal Judicial Court and six members of the Technical Advisory Unit, according to the same information from the Judicial Police.
A judicial source said that the eight detainees will be heard in Madeira for their first judicial interrogation.