Ricardo Matos remains in preventive custody after interrogation postponed in Coimbra
Coimbra Court has postponed to Monday the decision on former ULS Aveiro president Ricardo Matos, detained on suspicions of corruption in the "Batas & Betão" operation.
Former ULS Aveiro president remains in custody as court examines corruption case
Ricardo Matos's first judicial interrogation was suspended and will resume on Monday at Coimbra Court, according to information confirmed by a court source to healthnews.pt. The former chairman of the board of directors of the Local Health Unit (ULS) of the Aveiro Region remains in custody until then, with the court justifying the postponement with the "special complexity of the facts" under examination.
The other two defendants in the proceedings have already been released. The court formed a conviction regarding their procedural situation and decided not to apply any liberty-restricting measure.
Suspicions of corruption and construction of villa on the Barra
Ricardo Matos was detained on Monday by the Judicial Police on suspicion of corruption and was dismissed the following day by the Health Minister. The investigation, part of the "Batas & Betão" operation, seeks to determine whether the former official awarded contracts to a businessman and an engineer in exchange for economic advantages. Among those advantages, according to suspicions, was the construction of a house on Barra beach, in the municipality of Ílhavo.
The proceedings also encompass alleged irregularities in the procedure that led to Matos's appointment to the presidency of the board of directors of ULS Aveiro, a position he took up in May. The PJ operation is also examining the contracting of the company Pedro Vaz Mendes & Associados, in August. According to the BASE portal, ULS Aveiro carried out two direct agreements for the acquisition of legal advisory services from that company, valued at 60,000 and 39,000 euros. These contracts are under scrutiny by the authorities.
Board of directors guarantees continuity of functions
The remaining members of the board of directors of ULS Aveiro announced that they remain in office, ensuring the management of the institution and the continuity of healthcare provision to the population. In a statement sent to the Lusa agency, the officials stated they are aware of their duty of institutional loyalty and reaffirmed the principles of integrity, rigour and dedication to public service.
They also guaranteed that, throughout the current term, they have fulfilled their duties in respect for legality and the principles of transparent and efficient public management. Regarding the contracting of Pedro Vaz Mendes & Associados, they clarified that the procedures observed the mechanisms provided for in the Public Contracts Code.
PS questions the suitability of CReSAP in parliament
Following the detention, the PS parliamentary group submitted a question to parliament to the Minister of the Presidency on the suitability of CReSAP — the entity responsible for recruiting public managers — after suspicions emerged of early access to the questions in Ricardo Matos's selection interview.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro stated, in Dublin, on the sidelines of the informal summit of European Union leaders, that he maintains confidence in Health Minister Ana Paula Martins, emphasising that she is working "in circumstances that are much more complex than they were two and a half years ago".
Source: Google News PT — Crime (pt)