“The facts (…) are likely to substantiate, in the abstract, the practice by suspects Miguel Albuquerque, Pedro Calado [president of the Chamber of Funchal] and Avelino Farinha [leader of the AFA business group] of facts that could integrate crimes of attack against the Rule of law, malfeasance, undue receipt of advantage, passive corruption, active corruption, economic participation in business, abuse of powers and influence peddling”, reads the document to which the Lusa agency had access today.

Miguel Albuquerque was named a defendant on Wednesday in the operation carried out by the MP and the Judicial Police (PJ) in Madeira, the Azores and in several areas of the continent.

Among the MP's suspicions is an alleged collusion between the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP), led by Miguel Albuquerque, Pedro Calado and members of the Pestana hotel group, namely the company Pestana CR7, allegedly being involved “in a scheme of favouring the interests and real estate businesses of that group within the scope of the construction of the Praia Formosa real estate project”.

Alleged favouritism is also mentioned in the choice of the company that won the public tenders for the organization of a jazz festival in Funchal in 2022 and 2023, with the MP noting that the winning entity was established four days before the presentation of the proposal, “not having (...) any experience in organizing events”.

According to the MP, there is a “privileged relationship, characterized by great proximity and informality” between Miguel Albuquerque, Pedro Calado and Avelino Farinha. The MP adds that, within the scope of this relationship, Pedro Calado “acted, and still acts, as a common denominator for the other suspects”, acting as an “intermediary, in order to protect the interests of the AFA group with the Regional Government and the municipality of Funchal ”.

The MP even indicates that there were “interferences” by Miguel Albuquerque in matters at the municipal level, as well as positions taken by Pedro Calado on issues of a regional nature, particularly on topics involving the interests of a group of businesspeople from Madeira.

The case arose following anonymous complaints, with the investigation uncovering “new suspicions of potential favouritism in regional public procurement”, involving the president of the Regional Government, the mayor of Funchal and the leader of the AFA business group.

The operation led to the arrest of the president of Funchal City Council, the leader of the AFA group and the executive director of the Socicorreia group, Custódio Correia, who is also a partner of Avelino Farinha in several companies, according to an investigation source. The three detainees are expected to appear before a judge for their first judicial interrogation on Friday, in Lisbon.