Mayor Humberto Brito reported the suspicions to the MP
The secretary is accused of having created a front sale to personally profit from the sale of cars to the municipality.
The Public Ministry (MP) accused Antonio Nunes Barbosa, secretary of the Council Support Office of the Chamber of Paços de Ferreira, of economic participation in business, abuse of power and falsification of documents.
The investigation indicates that Barbosa would have rigged a contest for the purchase of three electric vehicles for the Municipal Police, profiting 9,580 euros at the expense of the municipality, says the .
The case dates back to December 2020, when City Hall decided to acquire three vehicles. Barbosa, who maintained links with the automobile trade, despite his public position, used privileged information to benefit from the process. According to the MP, Barbosa planned to buy the cars through his companies and resell them to the municipality at a profit, using Amâncio Silva, a car dealer and accomplice in the scheme.
Barbosa defined the competition requirements and indicated the companies to inviteincluding that of Amâncio Silva, who presented the lowest proposal, of 56 thousand euros plus VAT. The contract was awarded at the beginning of 2021, but the MP maintains that the cars never belonged to the company winner, but Barbosa, who acquired them for 59,190 euros. To cover up the fraud, Barbosa allegedly simulated the sale of the vehicles to Amâncio, issuing three false invoices.
The vehicles – two Hyundai IONIQ 5 and a Mitsubishi L200 – were sold to the Chamber for 68,776 eurosgenerating illicit profit. The MP accuses Barbosa of seriously violating the duties of his position, breaking the trust placed by the municipality. In case of conviction, the MP asks for Barbosa to be banned from holding public office and for payment of the 9,580 euros obtained illegally.
The case was denounced by the president of the ChamberHumberto Brito, who requested an internal audit and reported the irregularities to the MP. The municipality awaits the judicial outcome. Barbosa, however, left the Chamber on his own initiative.
