The mayor Ricardo Rodrigues, a member of the Socialist Party, has been sentenced to the loss of his mandate.
The case revolves around the granting of a restaurant space at Rotunda dos Frades to Luís Rodrigues, the mayor’s brother. The matter dates back to 2018 when an inquiry was initiated by the Attorney General’s Office into the action.
The president of the Vila Franca do Campo Municipal Council, located on São Miguel island, has been on trial since January. He faced charges of misconduct and abuse of power related to the concession of the space.
The Vila Franca do Campo Court concluded that Ricardo Rodrigues acted “with intent” to “benefit a family member,” sentencing him to three years and four months in prison. The sentence is suspended upon execution, along with the loss of his mandate.
In addition to the municipal president, the court also sentenced councilor Carlos Pimentel to a suspended sentence of two years and eight months for misconduct, resulting in the loss of his mandate as well.
As for Luís Rodrigues, the brother of the municipal president, he received a suspended sentence of three years and four months for misconduct.
During the delivery of the verdict, the judge stated that there was “a concerted plan” by the defendants to assign the restaurant space to the mayor’s family member.
According to the judge, “there is no doubt that there was collusion” to enable Luís Rodrigues to operate the restaurant.
The mayor was tried after the Lisbon Court of Appeal overturned the decision of the Ponta Delgada criminal instruction judge, who had initially decided on October 9, 2023, not to charge the socialist with these crimes, thereby upholding the appeal submitted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
