Moedas confirms the searches at CM Lisboa and says he is collaborating with the authorities

“I confirm the research. I was not informed of the searches until after they had taken place. I have nothing to add. Only total collaboration, knowing that it is research that does not refer to this mandate,” Carlos Moedas told reporters after a visit to the Manuel Castel Branco municipal pavilion, in Lisbon, which will function as an adapted structure from today. at the beginning of the emergency plan for people experiencing homelessness in the face of the cold.

The mayor also clarified that it is the judicial authorities who "can enlighten" the searches.

“There is nothing better than transparency and transparency is essential in what we do. Our responsibility as mayors is to be fully transparent. This transparency with me is total. It is part of democratic life. To justice what belongs to justice, to politics what belongs to politics”, he underlined.

Today's searches in the Lisbon Chamber are linked to the "Tutti-frutti" process, an investigation opened in 2017 into the alleged favoritism of political leaders towards PSD and PS activists, the Attorney General's office confirmed to Lisa.

"The searches are confirmed through the process known as 'Tutti Frutti'," the Attorney General's Office (PGR) said, in a written response to questions sent by Lusa.

Also according to the PGR, the trial is being investigated by the Lisbon Investigation and Criminal Action Department “and is subject to judicial secrecy”.

Today, at the beginning of the afternoon, the Chamber of Lisbon had already confirmed to Lusa the carrying out of searches at the Department of Support for Municipal Bodies and Services.

“We confirm the searches carried out and any clarification on their scope must be provided by the judicial authorities,” an official source told the chamber.

CNN had previously argued that the “Tutti-frutti” process was at stake, an investigation opened in 2017 and made public in 2018 into the alleged favoritism of politicians towards PSD and PS activists, involving Lisbon town halls and several town halls .

Today, the television channel said, researchers were analyzing documents related to urban processes managed by the former town councilor Manuel Salgado, under the municipal presidency of Fernando Medina (PS), current Minister of Finance.

In 2018, the Attorney General's Office reported that this investigation is investigating alleged crimes of passive bribery, influence peddling, economic participation in business and prohibited financing, on suspicion of exercising "influence aimed at to obtain the conclusion of public contracts, including agreements with natural persons”. and other strategic positions.

In October, CNN Portugal reported that there were "over 500 criminal wiretaps involving senior PS and PSD leaders […]namely for alleged collusion schemes in central bloc pacts, in which some of the suspects involved are members of the current government, such as Fernando Medina or Duarte Cordeiro [ministro do Ambiente e ex-vice-presidente da Câmara de Lisboa]”.

At that time, the channel added, the investigation had already detected "suspicious situations in 16 councils, 12 councils and two municipal assemblies" and nine more investigations were added, "all for alleged crimes in the Lisbon chamber". .

The Lisbon Chamber is currently led by Social Democrat Carlos Moedas, who won the 2021 elections without an absolute majority, pushing the PS out of power in the municipality.

Manuel Salgado was councilor for town planning in the capital between 2007 and 2019, under the presidencies of António Costa (current Prime Minister) and Fernando Medina. In July 2019, he announced his resignation from the portfolio, and his departure took effect on October 7 of the same year.

A few days after leaving office, the council approved the re-election of the architect as chairman of the board of directors of the municipal company for urban rehabilitation (SRU), from which he resigned in 2021, after being implicated in a lawsuit over the construction of the CUF Tejo hospital. At the time, he denied wrongdoing and felt the most correct attitude was to walk away.

Last week, the judicial police had already visited the premises of the municipality because of another legal procedure in which three companies and their legal representatives were already constituted as defendants.

JML (VAM/ROC/LT/CCC) // RBF