Ricardo Rodrigues, a member of the Socialist Party, received a suspended sentence of three years and four months for misconduct and was ordered to forfeit his mandate.
“Following the first-instance court’s decision, which I will naturally appeal, I believe that the most appropriate place to clarify matters for the people of Vila Franca and to make a definitive statement will be at the next Municipal Assembly, scheduled for April 10 [Thursday],” Ricardo Rodrigues stated to the press.
He continued, “I will have the opportunity to address the Municipal Assembly and also all the residents of Vila Franca, explaining what I intend to do regarding [the process] and in light of the Vila Franca do Campo court’s ruling.”
The Mayor of Vila Franca do Campo, located on São Miguel Island, faced accusations of misconduct and abuse of power.
The case involves the awarding of the Rotunda dos Frades restaurant space to Luís Rodrigues, the mayor’s brother. This incident dates back to 2018 when the Prosecutor General’s Office launched an investigation into the act.
The Vila Franca do Campo Court found that Ricardo Rodrigues acted “with intent” to benefit his family member, sentencing him to three years and four months in prison, suspended, and stripping him of his mandate.
The mayor expressed to the press his hope that the first-instance court’s decision will be overturned by the Court of Appeal, maintaining that his conscience is “clear.”
“I plan to take certain measures in the meantime and not wait for the Court of Appeal. However, I will announce [these measures] at the next Municipal Assembly, on April 10,” he remarked, without further details.
In addition to Mayor Ricardo Rodrigues, the court sentenced councilor Carlos Pimentel to a suspended sentence of two years and eight months for misconduct, also resulting in the loss of his mandate.
As for Luís Rodrigues, the mayor’s brother, he also received a suspended sentence of three years and four months for misconduct.
During the sentencing, the judge mentioned “a concerted plan” by the defendants to allocate the restaurant space to the mayor’s relative.
The judge asserted that there was “no doubt about the collusion” enabling Luís Rodrigues to operate the restaurant.
The mayor faced trial following the Lisbon Court of Appeal’s reversal of the initial decision by a criminal investigative judge in Ponta Delgada on October 9, 2023, which had dismissed the charges against the socialist, thereby supporting the Public Prosecutor’s appeal.
During the trial in January, Ricardo Rodrigues denied any undue influence to benefit his brother with the restaurant space contract.
The mayor, serving his final term, explained that the initiative aimed to deliver “a project of interest” to the local population and was deemed “a priority” for the parish, intending to equip the venue of the São João Festivals, which attract thousands of visitors to Vila Franca do Campo, with proper infrastructure.
Today, while delivering the sentence, the judge indicated that Ricardo Rodrigues “tried to persuade the court” that he did not inform his brother in advance about the restaurant space venture.
“In such a small town, where those involved are family and well-known, it is implausible that there was no awareness of the defendant’s intentions to bid for the space and that the council was planning a tender,” she highlighted.
The Vila Franca do Campo Court concluded that the defendants “were aware their actions were prohibited” by law.
