Two women are facing charges of influence peddling at the Braga City Council. The case involves a favor exchange where one woman promised to find a job for the other’s daughter at the local government.
The Public Prosecution Service stated that an employee of the council “offered to assist the other defendant with the job application process for an operational assistant position (…), which the latter’s daughter was applying for” in May 2020.
In return, the mother placed 400 euros in an envelope along with her daughter’s details (name and phone number), sealed it, and handed it to the first defendant to take care of the matter.
However, despite these efforts, the daughter did not secure the job.
The daughter was disqualified from the selection process after scoring only 13 in the knowledge test, as reported by the Jornal de Notícias, citing the indictment.
The mother reportedly confronted Ana Silva (the employee who allegedly promised to ‘pull strings’ in favor of the colleague’s daughter) about the exclusion. Silva reassured her “not to worry, that everything was arranged, and that candidates with scores of 18 or 19 would not be accepted because they were graduates.”
With shattered expectations, the defendant, who hoped to benefit, eventually lodged a complaint against her colleague with the Human Resources Department (HRD), admitting she had paid for her daughter to receive preferential treatment.
Called into the office, Ana Silva confirmed receiving 400 euros “to help the colleague’s daughter secure a position.”
Ana Silva offered to help another colleague’s daughter
This was not the first misconduct by the Braga council employee.
In April 2020, she sent a written message to another acquaintance, whose daughter was interested in a job as an operational assistant at the Braga municipality, stating that the school selection process was underway and advising her to come forward with 300 euros in an envelope to give to whoever had the list, according to the Public Prosecution Service dispatch.
Months before the complaint became public, Ana Silva approached her acquaintance at a café, volunteering to handle “everything” to help the acquaintance’s daughter get the job.
Two weeks later, Silva went directly to their home, where, in front of the husband and the daughter, who was applying for the job, she told the daughter, “You’ll receive a Christmas gift, small but early.”
Later, again at the café, Ana Silva informed the young woman that she would have to attend an interview at the University of Minho but assured her “not to worry, it was all just for show and the position was hers.”
Although “everything was supposedly arranged,” the mother ultimately did not deliver the 300 euro envelope that was requested by the defendant.
This matter was also reported to HRD, prompting the Braga City Council to investigate and open an inquiry into the situation. Following an internal disciplinary process, Ana Silva was dismissed. She now awaits trial, facing charges of two crimes of influence peddling.
The mother involved in the first case is also accused of this crime.
