44 people have been cited in the investigation – kick-started by journalists – into alleged fraud in the rebuilding of fire-damaged homes in Pedrógão Grande.
Of the 44, 37 are homeowners. The rest are council officials, builders and the mayor of Pedrógão Grande Valdemar Alves – also cited for the negligent homicide of seven people who died in the fires that killed a total of 66 , writes Diário de Notícias.
At issue is the alleged ‘misuse’ of around 500,000 euros in donations destined for the reconstruction of primary residences.
Says DN, the money “was used for the construction of non-priority homes, in other words, second homes”.
This was the gist of a report by Visão magazine last year (click here), swiftly picked up by the Public Ministry.
Says DN today, around 4.4 million euros in donations were ploughed into the Revita Fund, into which the government also put 2.5 million euros.
Reluctant to accept the accusations, Valdemar Alves said back in September that “of course primary residences need to be rebuilt but what is also important is to rebuild everything that burned. Everyone has rights”.
In a communiqué since, Alves has denounced the situation as riddled by “speculation, lies and manipulations, designed to discredit the work developed by the Revita Fund” and to spread doubts over “technical procedures” followed and the “seriousness of the declarations made by property owners”.
By January, 10 people had been cited as ‘arguidos’ (official suspects). The 44th brings the investigation to a close, say investigators – giving no clues as to when the case will get to a courtroom.
