The municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia has withdrawn its civil claim and ceased to be an assistant in the legal proceedings, announced the president of the panel of judges at trial.
The municipality, now led by Social Democrat Luís Filipe Menezes, who returned to the presidency after ending 12 years of socialist leadership, initially sought a compensation of 50,000 euros.
The trial, which commenced in January, is entering its final stages, with Public Ministry (MP) prosecutors presenting their arguments since Thursday, which are expected to conclude by Tuesday.
Operation Babel involves 16 defendants, including the former vice-president of the Gaia Municipal Council, Patrocínio Azevedo, real estate entrepreneurs Paulo Malafaia and Elad Dror, and lawyer João Pedro Lopes. They face charges of numerous economic crimes such as corruption and influence peddling.
The MP alleges that Elad Dror, founder of the Fortera group, and Paulo Malafaia conspired to develop real estate projects in Vila Nova de Gaia, specifically the Skyline/Centro Cultural e de Congressos, Riverside, and Hotel Azul projects, allegedly benefiting from the favor of the former vice-president of Gaia, who supposedly received money and material goods, like watches, in return.
In July 2024, the then-mayor of Gaia, socialist Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues, noted that becoming an assistant did not imply taking a stance on the case’s specifics.
“I believe the municipality is obliged to become an assistant to monitor the case, and if there’s any objective damage, to subsequently claim it,” he stated at the time.
In today’s trial session, the MP prosecutor reiterated the existence of a “culture of corruption” among the defendants and insisted that the crimes had been committed.
Regarding the former vice-president of the municipality, the prosecutor noted the absence of “special animosity” during the trial towards the other defendants whom he claimed were responsible for his situation.
The prosecutor further emphasized that being a local politician does not mean granting privileges to individuals or seeking specific gains.
Patrocínio Azevedo and Paulo Malafaia, who were held in pre-trial detention for around 23 months, were released in April and are now required to make periodic appearances before authorities. They are prohibited from contacting each other and other defendants.
The lawyer João Pedro Lopes, previously under house arrest, also had his coercive measure altered to periodic appearances to the authorities.
