Six men and two women are detained as part of the ‘AB INITIO’ operation in Madeira.
There were several theories and speculations that emerged from the moment JM first reported the ongoing investigation. Some were not confirmed. Those who are currently detained are already in the Funchal Prison, awaiting judicial questioning.
The detainees are indicted for the crimes of economic participation in business, receiving or offering undue advantages, prevarication and prohibited financing of political parties.
According to JM, different personalities are awaiting questioning.
– Humberto Vasconcelos , who served in government between 2015 and 2023, first leading the former Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Fisheries, and later becoming responsible for Agriculture and Rural Development. Several of the files under investigation relate to his former Secretariat.
Carlos Teles , mayor of Calheta who is serving the last of three possible terms, has extensive local government experience, first as a councillor, then as vice-president and, for the last 11 years, as president of the Municipality.
– Paulo Santos , former regional director of Agriculture and Rural Development, is another person named in the operation. He has been part of Humberto Vasconcelos’ team since April 2015 and has always been a trusted person of the former regional secretary.
– Bruno Freitas has been the president of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Health Administration, IASAÚDE, since September 2021. Previously, in 2019, he had assumed the position of member of the institute, having a degree in public and municipal administration.
– Daniela Rodrigues , former chief of staff of the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Rural Development, is also one of the people who earned the trust of Humberto Vasconcelos, with whom she has worked since the beginning of his government adventure, in 2015. First as an advisor for the area of economy, then becoming head of the secretariat’s office in 2019.
Cecília Aguiar is another of the individuals from the regional secretariat for Agriculture and Rural Development who are under investigation. Between 2019 and 2023, the specialist technician performed specialized advisory functions in coordinating the organization and execution of promotional events for regional agricultural and agri-food products, coordinating the design of institutional promotional material on regional agricultural and agri-food products and activities.
– Humberto Drumond and Miguel Nóbrega , partners in the communications company Dupla DP, are at the center of the investigation. The agency, founded in 2001, is accused of having defrauded the public treasury in several deals that involved the areas of activity of the other six people targeted in the operation.