Minister allegedly renewed license in collusion with former IMT president, exceeding rules applicable to all drivers
João Gomes Cravinho was still Minister of Defense when, on July 20, 2021, the Institute of Mobility and Transport rented a car from ACP to give him a driving test. At the time, he was 57 years old and his driver’s license had expired seven years earlier, as renewal is now mandatory at age 50.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office received an anonymous complaint, but with enough circumstances to open a criminal investigation at the Department of Investigation and Prosecution of Lisbon. The president of the IMT, Eduardo Feio, allegedly tried to benefit the minister by renewing the license by falsifying the mandatory procedures for the renewal of this document, although it had expired more than five years ago.
Os principais temas abordados no Conselho de Negócios Estrangeiros de hoje aqui sintetizados pelo MNE @JoaoCravinho. Na semana em que se assinala um ano desde a invasão da Ucrânia pela Rússia, os chefes da diplomacia da UE debateram a aplicação de novas medidas. 📺⤵️ pic.twitter.com/bafQHO6Vb2
— Negócios Estrangeiros PT (@nestrangeiro_pt) February 20, 2023
Eduardo Feio refused to be interviewed, arguing that he was no longer a member of the IMT. In fact, his mandate ended in September last year, when he was appointed by the Government Administrator of the Ports of Aveiro and Figueira da Foz.
In December, the Public Ministry decided to search the IMT, with the authorization of the judge of the Central Criminal Investigation Court. The computer material seized is now being analyzed to find evidence of the crime or the innocence of the two socialists.
João Gomes Cravinho and Eduardo Feio, who was a councillor and PS candidate for Aveiro City Council and Director General of the Ministry of Internal Administration in the time of Minister António Costa, are suspected of crimes of abuse of power and influence peddling.
No charges have yet been filed.