A military officer serving at a Territorial Post in the municipality of Santa Maria da Feira, district of Aveiro, has been convicted of passive corruption, personal favoritism by an official, and abuse of power, according to a statement from the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The court imposed a cumulative sentence of two years and nine months of imprisonment, suspended for the same duration, conditional upon compliance with conduct rules set by the court.
The panel of judges also ordered the forfeiture to the state of a vehicle and 850 euros.
Between 2017 and 2020, the court found that the defendant refrained from taking action against a car dealer who illegally parked vehicles for sale on public roads. Furthermore, the officer allegedly staged the release of the dealer’s daughter, who was caught driving without a legal license, escorting her from the stop to her home without filing the appropriate charges.
The judges concluded that the defendant violated his official duties as a GNR military officer in exchange for economic benefits, receiving two cars worth a total of 2,700 euros, which he gave to his partner and daughter.
The ruling also states that the car dealer covered the cost of repairs and an inspection for one of the vehicles, amounting to 150 euros, and lent the officer a seven-seater van for a week.
It was further proven that in July 2020, the defendant unsuccessfully attempted to persuade another officer not to ticket a driver using a mobile phone, following a request from the driver’s relative.
