Corruption Revelations: Pessegueiro Alleges Ex-Mayor Pinto Moreira Demanded €50,000

Corruption Admission in Court

Francisco Pessegueiro, a businessman, admitted to engaging in corrupt practices during the first session of the Vortex Operation trial, which investigates alleged corruption in Espinho. He claimed that former mayor Pinto Moreira requested €50,000 for "political démarches," although he stated that no money was ever delivered.

When questioned by the judge, Pessegueiro insisted that he did not hand over any funds to Pinto Moreira, despite the request for €50,000. He elaborated, "After a meeting, Pinto Moreira expressed his desire to meet over coffee. We were discussing three projects: the hotel, the nursing home, and the hospital. Pinto indicated that due to his political démarches, €25,000 would be needed for the nursing home and another €25,000 for the hospital. The hotel project was problematic, and he couldn’t quantify the amount needed."

Pessegueiro even drew a grim analogy, likening the situation to a robbery where an intruder threatens his family, saying, "I felt helpless and feared the projects would be shelved."

After the session, Pinto Moreira rejected Pessegueiro's claims, asserting he had never solicited money from anyone. He pointed out inconsistencies in Pessegueiro’s statements, noting, "Initially, he claimed he had given me money, and now he states that no money was exchanged. This reflects his lack of coherence."

According to Pessegueiro’s testimony, Pinto Moreira became involved in the projects and communicated with architect João, indicating that payments would be made upon project approval, which ultimately never occurred.