Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the commemorations of the 76th anniversary of the PJ, Luís Neves explained that that allocation of resources should take place under a recruitment reserve that was approved in the 2019 State Budget to be implemented in 2020 and 2021.

"If the means we intend, whether from the point of view of inspectors or specialized technological means - these have already been decided, are in progress -, come to be made available as we hope, economic and financial crime and corruption will have the biggest allocation of resources it has ever had”, he underlined.

For Luís Neves, the fight against corruption is also a fight against social exclusion.

“The public funds that are diverted along these paths are fundamental for the balance of society and above all to be able to help the most disadvantaged people to leave the margins of social exclusion”, he said.

According to the head of the PJ, there are currently 100 new inspectors in training, as part of the bet on the rejuvenation of the class.

“It is evident that we need to rejuvenate and bring younger people to the institution”, he admitted.

Luís Neves said he hopes that as soon as these 100 new elements finish their training, they will enter the recruitment reserve.

In addition, he recalled that at the end of 2020 the Ministry of Finance approved the opening of a competition for 30 experts, and this year vacancies will be opened for 35 experts.

As he said, there had been no competition for the admission of experts for over 10 years.

The commemorations of the 76th anniversary of the PJ took place in the new premises of the Braga delegation, recently purchased and which “soon” will begin to be used.

It is the building of the now extinct Associação Industrial do Minho (AIMinho), purchased by the State for 2.5 million euros.

AIMinho is at the center of a lawsuit for an alleged fraud of almost 10 million euros, with 120 defendants (77 individuals and 43 companies).

The defendants will answer for criminal association, fraud in obtaining subsidies, qualified fraud, money laundering, forgery and qualified tax fraud, going back to the period between 2008 and 2013.

The main defendant is António Marques, president of AIMinho until the liquidation of the association, decreed in September 2018 by the Court of Vila Nova de Famalicão, following a debt of over 12 million euros.