The Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) requested the waiver of immunity of PSD deputies Luís Newton, Carlos Eduardo Reis and Margarida Saavedra within the scope of the Tutti Frutti process, in order to constitute them as defendants and collect statements.
According to the order from the Central Criminal Instruction Court, advanced on Tuesday night by CNN Portugal and to which Lusa also had access, the MP considers that Carlos Eduardo Reis is heavily indicted for active corruption, malfeasance and influence peddling .
Luís Newton has strong signs of passive corruption and malfeasance, while Margarida Saavedra is heavily accused of qualified fraud, according to the order.
The three Social Democratic deputies took office on March 26, following the last legislative elections, and requests to waive their immunity will now have to be assessed by the Transparency and Statute of Deputies Commission.
The operation called “Tutti Frutti” has been investigating alleged favoritism to PS and PSD activists since 2018, through agreements and public contracts, involving suspicions of passive corruption, influence peddling, economic participation in business and prohibited financing.
