The Public Prosecutor's Office has charged a former parish council president in Madeira and three other members of the executive with misusing public funds, specifically to pay for outings, meals, trips and accommodation.
The indictment was filed on 30 October and concerns events between 2017 and 2021. According to the prosecutor's statement, the former president faces nine counts of embezzlement by a holder of political office, committed together with another executive member who has since died, and 19 further counts of the same offence as perpetrator. All four defendants are also jointly charged with one more count of embezzlement.
The investigation also examined a worker's hiring, the allocation of social benefits, parish celebration expenses, support for an association and the misappropriation of computer equipment. A civil damages claim was filed on behalf of the parish. The parish and the four defendants were not named in the released information.