The focus of the allegation, accessed by the agency Lusa, is the lack of prior communication by the organizers of a demonstration to the Guarda Municipal Council. The defendants include the Union of Trade Unions of Castelo Branco, the Business Association of the Guarda Region, former business leaders José Gameiro of Castelo Branco and Pedro Tavares of Guarda, along with Zulmiro Almeida from the A25 Users Commission.
Union representatives Luís Garra from the Union of Trade Unions of Castelo Branco and José Pedro Branquinho from the Union of Trade Unions of Guarda are also charged with the crime of qualified disobedience.
The seven defendants are accused of having assembled on May 11, 2018, at 17:00, with around 60 people at the ‘Rotunda do G’ in Guarda. The gathering, which was organized and orderly, featured protest placards against tolls on the A23 and A25 highways.
The indictment highlights that “various automobiles displaying similar protest placards both inside and outside were also present” and “two of these vehicles had loudspeakers on the roof broadcasting messages against the tolls”.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP), the police did not issue orders for the demonstrators to disperse. As a result, they proceeded through various streets of Guarda, conducting a “slow march/horn” demonstration to the Pinhel junction of the A25.
The MP claims that the accused acted “in pre-agreed coordination, with united efforts and intent as members of the so-called entities AEBB—Business Association of Beira Baixa, Union of Trade Unions of Castelo Branco, Union of Trade Unions of Guarda, NERGA—Business Association of the Guarda Region”.
The MP further states that, “despite knowing the requirement to communicate the event to the Guarda Council at least two days prior to ensure public order and tranquility, they decided against making such communication”.
The accused were aware that by promoting “this public demonstration, together with others, without prior communication to the Municipal Council of this city, as was their obligation and knowledge, they were disobeying a legitimate order based on legal disposition”.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office argues that the defendants knew “their actions were criminally punishable” and concludes that they collectively committed “a crime of qualified disobedience”, which carries penalties of up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 240 days.
The first court session is scheduled to begin at 10:00 at the Guarda Judicial Court.
Since January 1, the highways A23 (Beira Interior), A24 (Interior Norte), A25 (Beiras Litoral e Alta), A4 (Transmontana and Túnel of Marão), A13 and A13-1 (Pinhal Interior), and A22 (Algarve) have been toll-free. On the A28 (Minho), the toll exemption applies only between Esposende and Antas and between Neiva and Darque.
Law No. 37/2024, dated August 7, mandates the “elimination of toll fees on stretches and subsections of interior highways and on roads with no viable quality, safe alternatives”, revoking Decree-Law No. 97/2023, dated October 17.
In May 2024, Parliament approved the Socialist Party’s bill for ending tolls on former Scut highways starting January 1, 2025, with support from PS, BE, PCP, Livre, Chega, and PAN, while the Liberal Initiative abstained. The PSD and CDS voted against the legislation.
