“I have no idea what they are talking about, but it is necessary today to have a criterion of some complacency toward these news because they keep inventing things and saying things. Well, patience,” said Miguel Albuquerque.
Miguel Albuquerque, speaking at the port of Funchal where he marked the commencement of the power connection for the Lobo Marinho ship, responded in this manner to news disclosed today by the newspaper Correio da Manhã, indicating a new probe by the Public Prosecutor’s Office within the AB INITIO operation.
The newspaper reports that Albuquerque allegedly participated in meetings at Quinta Vigia, the headquarters of the Madeiran government’s presidency, with the main suspects in an illegal funding scheme for two PSD/Madeira electoral campaigns.
“Every day, I have about 50 meetings at Quinta Vigia,” said Miguel Albuquerque, emphasizing, however, that the issue of party funding was never discussed there.
“Here, nothing! Do you think I would handle that at Quinta Vigia?” he questioned, adding, “That’s absurd! I don’t deal with any of that, nor do I understand it, nor do I want to know.”
The head of the regional government, a PSD/CDS-PP coalition, stressed that all social-democratic campaigns are audited and scrutinized by the courts.
“What I can say is that, from my perspective, the only concern I have is that the campaigns, once conducted, are audited, scrutinized, and then ratified by the courts,” he reiterated.
Albuquerque also assured that he was not asked to lift the immunity he holds as president of the Madeira Government and member of the Council of State.
The AB INITIO operation was launched by the Judiciary Police (PJ) on September 17, 2024, aiming to execute seven arrest warrants, later increased to eight, involving local officials, entrepreneurs, public employees, political figures, and senior public officials.
According to the PJ, the investigation involves suspicions of economic participation in a business, improper receipt or offer of advantage, misconduct, and prohibited political party funding.
Those detained included the then mayor of Calheta and president of the Association of Municipalities of Madeira (AMRAM), Carlos Teles, former regional secretary of agriculture Humberto Vasconcelos, the president of the management board of the Institute of Health Administration of Madeira (IASAÚDE), Bruno Freitas, the former regional director of agriculture, Paulo Santos, as well as Humberto Drumond and Miguel Nóbrega, administrators of the company Dupla DP, an agency for communication, advertising, and marketing, along with two public employees.
After initial questioning, all were released and subjected to Term of Identity and Residence (TIR).
Only the president of IASAUDE was barred from continuing in office.
In this process, the secretary-general of PSD/Madeira, José Prada, along with Rogério Gouveia, Pedro Ramos, and Pedro Fino, who at the time were regional secretaries of Finance, Health, and Equipment, respectively, were also named as defendants.
