Operation Tutti Frutti: 56 defendants committed for trial, including three former MPs
The Central Criminal Instruction Court committed 56 of 60 defendants in Operation Tutti Frutti for trial. Among those committed are three former MPs and several former local government officials.
56 defendants in Operation Tutti Frutti to face trial
The Central Criminal Instruction Court committed 56 of 60 defendants accused by the Public Prosecutor's Office in Operation Tutti Frutti for trial, according to observador.pt. Only four defendants had their cases dismissed: Ângelo Pereira (PSD) and Inês Drummond (PS), former councillors at Lisbon City Council, and Ivone Gonçalves, a member of PSD in Loures. Fernando Braamcamp, former president of the Areeiro Parish Council, died in April this year.
Among those committed for trial is former MP Sérgio Azevedo (PSD), against whom the Public Prosecutor's Office brought a total of 51 charges. Of these, 37 are in joint perpetration — including nine of active corruption (two in aggravated form), 13 of misconduct in office, five of passive corruption (one aggravated), four of abuse of influence, three of money laundering, two of document falsification and one of aggravated fraud. The remaining 14 charges concern alleged individual perpetration, covering passive corruption, active corruption, money laundering and abuse of influence.
Former MP Carlos Eduardo Reis (PSD) was also committed for trial, with the Public Prosecutor's Office formulating an accusation of 22 charges against him. He is charged, in joint perpetration, with five counts of active corruption (one aggravated), six of misconduct in office, five of abuse of influence, four of money laundering and one of abuse of authority, plus sole perpetration of one count of active corruption.
Luís Newton, former president of the Estrela Parish Council and former MP, will also face trial. The Public Prosecutor's Office accused him of a total of ten charges, including misconduct in office and passive corruption, some of them in joint perpetration.
Among the former local government officials committed for trial are Social Democrats Vasco Morgado, former president of the Santo António Parish Council, Rodrigo Gonçalves, former president of São Domingos de Benfica, and Patrícia Leitão, former member of the Areeiro Parish Council. On the Socialist side, Ana Sofia Oliveira Dias, former president of the Penha de França Parish Council, and Rui Paulo Figueiredo, PS deputy to Lisbon's Municipal Assembly, will also face trial.
Operation Tutti Frutti involves charges of corruption, abuse of influence and misconduct in office, among other offences, and is one of the largest investigations of a political and local government nature currently underway in Portugal.
Source: Google News PT — Crime (pt)