Corruption in firefighting. PJ searches the Air Force and helicopter companies

Authorities suspect that the helicopter companies cartel boycotted public tenders to later require higher values ​​to the state in emergency situations.

The Judiciary Police (PJ) is conducting dozens of searching in private companies and state facilities this Thursday, including the Air Force Staff, as part of an investigation into corruption and fiscal fraud in the hiring of fire fighting air. At stake is the suspicion of a cartel scheme and Addict of the rules of public hiringwho will have injured the public purse in tens of millions of euros.

According to information gathered by, the crimes will have happened in the last three years and the suspicions focus on award, by direct adjustmenthelicopters and other air media to companies that are part of the special device to combat rural fires.

Investigations point to the existence of a collusion between several companies in the sector, with the objective of PUBLIC COMPETITIONS BOYCOTA and divide the contracts with each other. Direct adjustment contracts were then performed in emergency situations, when the state needed to quickly guarantee ways to face the critical time of fires. Companies allegedly inflated the values ​​and imposed special requirements, forcing the state to give to their requirements to ensure the operation to combat flames and injure public accounts.

PJ steps, in articulation with the Central Department of Research and Criminal Action (DCIAP), result from north to south of the country, including in Lisbon, Castelo Branco, Porto, Alentejo and Algarve.

At the center of the investigation is the mission coordinating office within the field of rural fires, a Air Force Staff Structure that generates the hiring of airpes. The Now Channel also advances that the companies Helibravo, HTA Helicopters, Heliportugal and Helifly are targets of the search.

Among the indicted crimes are Criminal Association, Corruption, Bond and Fiscal Fraud. PJ and DCIAP continue to collect evidence and listen to witnesses to clarify the total dimension of the alleged scheme and identify all those involved.