Following yesterday’s ‘bombshell’ in the saga that has brought down the Madeiran government, PJ police chief Luís Neves insists the case is still active; it has not been archived – and investigations are continuing. No one today can understand why it took so long for a judge to release the former mayor of Madeira and two businessmen from police custody if the wealth of evidence against them showed no signs of corruption (as the judge said yesterday). If this is the case, say Madeira’s centre-right politicians, then there was no reason to topple the government (as it has been toppled), and there should be no reason to call early elections. The decision lies with President Marcelo and his Madeiran representative Ireneu Barreto, who has intimated he will be making an announcement “either this weekend, or early next week”.
