Paulo Santos, deputy mayor of Faro, has released a statement celebrating the closure of the inquiry
Five years later, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has dismissed a legal inquiry into alleged corruption at the municipal council of Faro.
The corruption probe centred on Paulo Santos, deputy mayor of Faro, who was suspected of crimes of “passive and active corruption, embezzlement, prevarication and abuse of power”.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the alleged crimes had taken place since 2018 and were related to the management of Faro’s municipal market, specifically in regard to the allocation of spaces at the market and shops.
Under investigation were also allegations of “the misappropriation of public equipment, the hiring of personnel, and the facilitation of the awarding of public/municipal works contracts to construction companies or contractors in exchange for financial benefits,” the MP added.
The case, which had cast a shadow over his political career for five years, was officially closed two months ago by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, with no charges brought against him.
“I waited with serenity and confidence in the justice system for this decision, which I always believed was the only possible outcome and which reaffirms my innocence,” said Paulo Santos in a statement to the press. “However, the damage caused to my personal and professional life, and to those closest to me, cannot be undone.
“It wasn’t easy. There were many sleepless nights and moments when it was hard to believe what was happening,” the deputy mayor lamented. “In fact, I (and a few people close to me) was the only one who knew that nothing had happened to justify this case. Many times, I chose to stay quiet, avoiding public exposure. But, out of love for the work I do and my certainty in my integrity, I overcame every challenge, always believing the truth would come to light and that the day would come when I could finally share this message with you.”
Also among the people targeted in the probe were the former chairman of the board and the former general director of the municipal company Ambifaro, the entity responsible for managing the municipal market, as well as a senior technician at Faro council.
