Seven arrested including mayor of Calheta
Seven people have been arrested today in a new operation by PJ judicial police in Madeira.
Among the seven is the Mayor of Calheta, say reports, adding that all detainees are either council officials, political office holders, civil servants or businessmen.
The operation, dubbed AB INITIO (Latin for ‘from the beginning’), focuses on suspicions of crimes of economic participation in business, receiving or offering undue advantage, malfeasance and prohibited financing of political parties.
SIC Notícias says the arrests followed the execution of 43 search warrants (some for homes, others for non-homes)
“According to the Lisbon department of Central Investigation and Criminal Action, two of the searches were carried out at municipal offices and four at regional secretariats”.
Carried out by the National Anti-Corruption Unit and Madeira’s Criminal Investigation Department, AB INITIO is understood to have begun in 2020, probing “conduct considered to be highly-organised crime”.
In total, around 110 members of the PJ, four public prosecutors, two judges from Funchal Judicial Court and six members of the Technical Advisory Centre took part in today’s operation.
A similar swoop on suspicions of suspect dealings took place earlier this year, shaking the political order on Madeira – but since then, nothing has moved forwards. ND
