The president of the Regional Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, guarantees that he is not aware of whether he is being investigated by the Public Ministry (MP) within the scope of the “Ab Initio” operation, regarding the alleged improper financing of the PSD, and was not asked to waive immunities.
At issue is a news from “Correio da Manhã”, which reported that Miguel Albuquerque is suspected of having joined the defendants in “at least three meetings” in which “party financing was discussed, with a view to the PSD’s electoral campaign” in the region.
“I have no idea what they are talking about, but today we need to have a criterion of a certain complacency towards this news, because they are inventing things”, said Miguel Albuquerque, speaking to journalists nthe port of Funchal.
According to the newspaper, these meetings took place at Casa da Vigia, the official residence of the ruler, increasing suspicions about the alleged participation of the president of the Regional Government.“There are also participants in the process, with responsibility and degree of participation, who are being investigated”, highlights judge rapporteur Carlos Alexandre, na ruling bythe Lisbon Court of Appeal, of September 24th, where is rejthe worsening of coercive measures for some defendants.
“Do you think I would deal with this at Quinta da Vigia? Every day I have around 50 meetings at Quinta Vigia”, added Miguel Albuquerque, speaking of “absurdity”.
For Miguel Albuquerque to be heard as a witness or defendant, the MP He will, however, have to request the waiver of two immunities: as president of the Regional Government and State councilor. But he himself guarantees that he was not asked to waive immunities.
Expresso, an official source from the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, also assures that no request to that effect was received regarding the president of the Regional Government. “No request of this nature was received to waive immunity“. From Belém the same confirmation: “There is no pending request from the Presidency of the Republic to waive immunity regarding members of the Council of State”, a source from the Presidency tells Expresso. Counselors enjoy immunity, which prevents them from even giving statements as witnesses in court without the authorization of the Council of State, the advisory body of the President of the Republic.
Em January 2024Miguel Albuquerque was named a defendant in another case, on suspicion of committing eight crimes, including corruption, after a mega-operation by the Judiciary Police that included searches of his home and the headquarters of the Regional Government and culminated in arrest of the Mayor of Funchal, Pedro Calado. The president of the PSD-M also said, however, at the time that he would ask for his immunity to be waived so he could make statements and clarify suspicions, but there was no knowledge of the waiver of immunity.
Within the scope of operation “Ab Initio”, eight people were made defendants in September 2024, among them, the president of the Calheta City Council, Carlos Teles, the former regional secretary of Agriculture, Bruno Freitas, the former director of Agriculture and Regional Development, Humberto Vasconcelos, as well as the businessmen Humberto Drumond and Miguel Nóbrega. In addition to illegal financing of political parties suspendedects of economic participation in business and malfeasance.
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