In the letter, which Lusa also had access to, the author states that “there are corrupt practices by some city council executives” for having negotiations with the winning company of the tender to ensure they would win the energy efficiency contract promoted by the municipality, led by socialist Luísa Salgueiro.
The document further states that the quid pro quo for this company to win the tender is the payment of “400 to 500 thousand euros” to the mayor and the councilor in charge of Environment and Energy Transition, Manuela Álvares.
The whistleblower also emphasizes “the existence of elements that prove there were meetings between company representatives and the jury president, the councilor, and the municipality leader to negotiate the 400 to 500 thousand euros in commissions.”
Confronted with these accusations, the Matosinhos City Council confirmed that the president, vice-president, and the councilor in question received the letter on Tuesday.
“This is an unsigned (anonymous) complaint that imputes, without any evidentiary basis, factual or even demonstrating illicit practices, to executive members related to the energy efficiency management contract in public lighting. It is a slanderous and totally unfounded complaint, which is why, surely, its author did not sign it,” the municipality adds in response to Lusa.
The municipality also revealed that it forwarded the complaint to the National Anti-Corruption Mechanism (MENAC) and that, personally, both the mayor and the councilor sent the letter to the Public Prosecutor’s Office requesting a proper investigation.
Additionally, the council explains that seven companies submitted proposals, of which four were excluded for not delivering all required documents and two because they did not meet technical specifications.
The company ranked first, which is pointed out in the letter, won the tender with a proposal of 16 million euros, with one of the competitors presenting an administrative challenge to the procedure through the electronic public procurement platform.
Because of this administrative action, the procedure is suspended.
Today, after receiving the complaint, PSD councilors from Matosinhos, Bruno Pereira and Filomena Martins, presented an exposition to the Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DIAP).
The president of PSD/Matosinhos, Bruno Pereira, also stated that he provided all documents related to the public tender and its challenge by the other disqualified competitors, having addressed the matter at the end of the extraordinary council meeting held this afternoon.
