In question is an article published on Monday in the newspaper Correio da Manhã that points to the existence of about a hundred houses in an illegal situation, licensed by the municipality in an area of ​​ maritime public domain and outside a concession area.

“Even today, there is a complaint to the Public Ministry and to the Judiciary Police to find out who made the accusations and raised suspicions about the Chamber and some of its employees, and for those who made these statements to expose their complaints”, he told Lusa.

António Pina expressed himself “easy about the accusations made”, and said that he “serenely waits for justice to clarify the case”, suspecting that the complaints may have been made by “people who want to create difficulties for the Chamber for political reasons”.

According to the daily newspaper, the municipality of Olhão issued permits for housing outside the concession area assigned to it in 1983, for a period of 30 years and renewed in 2013 for another 10 years, ending in 2023.

The mayor explained that the renegotiation of the renewal of the concession with the Ministry of the Environment, for another 10 years, within the scope of the Intervention and Requalification Project (PIR) on the island of Armona, “was already at a good point, but ended up being suspended”.

“I hope that after the elections those who were there will remain, because we already had a very good balance point for the municipality and for the people who have houses on the island of Armona”, he advanced.

António Pina also said that he always guided his conduct by “a staunch defense of the populations” of the Ria Formosa barrier islands, contributing to “hundreds of people having the right to have licenses for their homes after almost a hundred years”.

“Nobody doubts in Olhão, or nearby, the staunch defense that I have always made of the populations of the islands, but there are always some who want to reduce this action”, he concluded.

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Action is evaluating the Intervention and Requalification Project (PIR) on the island of Armona to decide whether to renew a concession to the Câmara de Olhão on the island of Ria Formosa, according to a source from the Ministry.

“This PIR is more demanding than the existing rules, which will require the reduction of the concession area and an uncompromising respect for the protection of barrier islands, particularly with regard to the risk of flooding”.

The Ministry confirmed that, “having consensus with the municipality around the PIR”, it has the “intention” to “renew the concession” of the island of Armona to the municipality, but promised to be “uncompromising” to “protect natural values, recognising the existence of an urban agglomeration”.