According to the vice-president of Transparency International in Portugal (TI PT), the areas of urban planning and municipal works continue to be the main sources of risk of corruption in local government.
In a radio interview, José Fontão warned that, in Portugal, the threat of corruption in local power “remains high”.
“The risks are the same, they are many and they remain high”, he warned, on the sidelines of International Day Against Corruption.
According to the same radio, TI PT took advantage of the date to relaunch the Municipal Transparency Index, initially launched in 2013. And it has the support of the National Anti-Corruption Mechanism (MENAC) and the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities.
The vice-president of Transparency International in Portugal pointed out that the public procurement linked to local power is one of the most vulnerable sectors, particularly in urban planning and municipal workswhich he considers “an area of clear risk”.
José Fontão said he agreed with the Attorney General of the Republic, Amadeu Guerra, admitting that the artificial intelligence (AI) can be “very useful” in supporting investigations. Even so, he warned of the limitations in the use of these technologies, in the more advanced stages of the processes.
