Court rejected Xuxas's assets for use by PJ ordered by Luís Neves
A 2022 ruling from Lisbon's Central Criminal Investigation Court denied the operational use by the PJ of dozens of assets seized from drug trafficker Rúben Oliveira.
2022 judicial ruling contradicts Neves's decision on assets seized from Xuxas
A ruling from Lisbon's Central Criminal Investigation Court, dated 2022, reportedly rejected the decision by Luís Neves — then director of the Judicial Police (PJ) — to allocate dozens of assets seized from drug trafficker Rúben Oliveira, known as Xuxas, for operational use. The information was reported on Friday by TVI/CNN Portugal and the weekly Nascer do Sol, and is reported by rr.pt.
The assets in question, removed from Rúben Oliveira's residence, total nearly thirty items. Among them are televisions with individual value around 17,000 euros, gymnasium equipment, sofas and chairs. Oliveira was sentenced to 20 years in prison at first instance for drug trafficking and awaits the result of his appeal.
In reaction to the news, the PJ stated it could not confirm whether or not it was notified of the judicial ruling, citing lack of access to the case file since the conclusion of investigations. "As we no longer have access to the case file, from the time when the investigations by the PJ were finalised, it is not possible for us to respond with objectivity to this question at this moment," the statement from the force reads. The Judicial Police added that the assets continue to be used "in various units of this police force".
Luís Neves will be heard on Tuesday at 10:00 in the Constitutional Affairs Commission, ahead of the censure motion discussion scheduled for 15:00.
Mounting pressure on the minister and the PJ
The current Minister of Internal Administration has faced contestation for almost two months, since Nascer do Sol reported suspicions of irregularities in works on his property in Odemira. At issue is the construction of a swimming pool carried out by a known contractor of his, João Carvalho, owner of Construbarcelos, a company that won contracts for works for the PJ on 17 occasions.
The controversy widened with the revelation that the same contractor was left in charge of a trailer seized by the PJ in "Operation Pacoba", an investigation into drug trafficking, containing canisters with chemicals inside. Neves justified that the destruction of these products was not carried out due to high costs and the absence of funds for the PJ. The case prompted the opening of an inquiry by the Public Prosecution Service, which precluded the institution of an investigation process under the audits subsequently ordered by the Ministry of Justice.
Doubts were also raised about the breach of the legal obligation to submit asset declarations to the Transparency Entity and the Constitutional Court during the period when Neves led the PJ.
More recently, it became known that the minister drives a motor vehicle judicially seized in the same process that led to the conviction of Rúben Oliveira. In statements made in Madeira during a PSP ceremony, Neves argued that the use of the vehicle has legal framework.
Source: Google News PT — Crime (pt)