The Sindicato dos Enfermeiros do Porto is being targeted by searches this Wednesday morning, as confirmed by Notícias ao Minuto.
The Portuguese Security Police (PSP) is present at the scene in an operation that centers on the former president of the institution, Pedro Costa, as the main suspect.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office suspects that Pedro Costa allegedly used the union’s funds for personal gain, with allegations of breach of trust.
A police source revealed to Lusa that the searches are part of an inquiry investigating the alleged embezzlement of funds from the institution by the former president.
Pedro Costa is accused of using “thousands of euros” from the union for personal benefits, specifically in personal expenses and through withdrawals using a bank card.
Pedro Costa had been previously reported in an RTP broadcast for making personal purchases and paying for lunches, dinners, and even family vacations with the union’s bank card, totaling 40,000 euros.
According to a program aired in April, “Prova dos Factos,” Pedro Costa allegedly made successive withdrawals with the union’s card for personal expenses that he later attributed to the union.
Costa, who rose to leadership of the union in May 2021, replacing the then deceased president, began using the institution’s bank card two years later.
Following the broadcast, the leader resigned along with the entire union board, citing a “deep deterioration of the atmosphere within the union” and expressing regret over being subject to “serious defamations and internal attacks.”
Lusa attempted to contact Pedro Costa, as well as the current president of the union, but has been unsuccessful so far.
The inquiry is led by the Regional Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DIAP) of Porto.
[Updated at 12:38]
