President of the Parish Council of Aradas suspected of abuse of power in Aveiro – Politics

The president of the Junta de Aradas, in Aveiro, was named a defendant in a process investigating crimes of abuse of power, violation of budget execution rules, embezzlement, corruption and economic participation in business.

In addition to Catarina Barreto, who was elected by the Aliança com Aveiro coalition (PSD/CDS/PPM), the case has five other defendants, including three members of the current executive (two members and the treasurer), the secretary of the Board at the time of the events and an employee.

The process, consulted this Tuesday by Lusa, includes several pieces of evidence collected by the Judiciary Police (PJ) during the searches of the junta, in January 2023, related to alleged criminal acts that occurred during the mandate from 2017 to 2021.

One of the situations has to do with the misuse of public funds to pay a professional photographer who was hired to cover the presentation ceremony for Catarina Barreto’s re-candidacy for the presidency of the council, in the 2021 municipal elections.

Among the bills paid by the board is an invoice from a professional photographer, dated September 20, 2021, for the provision of “photography service – application submission”, worth 250 euros.

In addition to the photographic record of the candidacy presentation session, the work included setting up a scenario and a photography session with each of the members of the Alliance with Aveiro list (PSD/CDS/PPM), to be used in promotional material. campaign.

During interrogation at the PJ, the mayor denied that the photographer in question had been hired to carry out the aforementioned event, claiming that the 250 euro invoice issued by him corresponds to the creation of five paintings he ordered for a tribute.

This version was also denied by the photographer in his statements to the Judiciary.

The president of the Board is also suspected of undue payments for lunches and dinners with public money, in tributes, inaugurations, museums and other expenses unrelated to her public responsibilities.

The mayor also channeled public money to a local radio station, allegedly in exchange for a space for local and national political opinion/analysis.

Lusa tried to contact the president of the Junta de Aradas, but so far it has not been possible.