Public Ministry requests waiver of André Ventura’s immunity

The president of Chega is accused of defamation by the former president of Espinho City Council, Joaquim Pinto Moreira, whom he accused of receiving “money to do works” and of “exchanging works for gifts”.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office asked for the parliamentary immunity of Chega’s leader to be lifted, Andre Venturato be heard as a defendant following a complaint for alleged defamation.

According to the request addressed by the MP to the Assembly of the Republic, and to which Lusa had access, the former PSD deputy and former president of the Municipal Council of Espinho Joaquim Pinto Moreira filed a complaint against André Ventura for defamation.

The Public Ministry asked parliament to lift the parliamentary immunity of deputy André Ventura, for the constitute as defendant and listen to it in that context.

At issue are statements by the president of Chega in an interview with SIC, in March this year, in which André Ventura accused Pinto Moreira of receiving “money to do works” and “exchanging works for gifts”.

Pinto Moreira accuses the candidate for President of the Republic of having made these statements “with clear intent to offend your honor”.

The former vice-president of the PSD bench, who denies André Ventura’s accusations, also considers that the Chega leader acted purposely to “impute corruptive acts” and “to publicize them” and “acted maliciously”, having offended “severely his honor and consideration”.

Contacted by Lusa, Chega’s press office indicated that André Ventura “there will be no obstacle to the lifting of immunity”, which will first be analyzed by the Transparency and Statute of Deputies Commission and then voted on in plenary.

Pinto Moreira was charged with crimes of aggravated passive corruption, influence peddling and violation of urban planning ruleswithin the scope of , related to urban projects in the Espinho City Councilwhich Pinto Moreira presided over between 2009 and 2021

In July 2023, the former deputy was named a defendant. In May of the same year, the president of the PSD, Luís Montenegro, had to the then deputy of his party.