The Attorney General's Office has confirmed the arrest of a former Director-General at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, adding that the suspect shortly will be questioned in the Central Court of Criminal Investigation.
The Judicial Police arrested 48-year old Alberto João Correia on Tuesday. Until February he had been the Director-General of Infrastructure and Equipment at the Ministry where searches have been carried out, as well as at various construction companies, in an operation involving dozens of Judicial Police inspectors who now are combing through old contracts.
Examples of those contracts under suspicion include work to expand the headquarters of the National Civil Protection Authority, work at the Security Police HQ building in Lisbon, several remodelling and repair contracts at the Aliens and Borders Service and at various GNR buildings.
Correia also is suspected of involvement in the architectural practices that worked on these jobs, thereby committing the crime of ‘participating in business’ the suspicion being that he benefitted from illegal payments.
Correia was in office until early February this year when abruptly he resigned 'at his own request,' according to the Secretary of State to the Minister of Internal Affairs. The minister Miguel Macedo accepted Correia’s resignation after suspected irregularities in the awarding of building contracts had come to light.
In the days preceding Correia's swift exit, the Secretary of State, Fernando Alexandre, signed an order which reduced significantly the powers of the position formerly occupied by Correia. Previously the official was authorised to sign off expenditure on public works, and the purchase or leasing of goods and services, of up to €500,000. The limit was dropped to €100,000.
Alberto João Correia is an architect with a degree from the University of Salford in the UK and his arrest was accompanied by a statement from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution, which is looking at "illegalities related to building works authorised by the Ministry of Internal Affairs."
The statement added that there are suspicions of corruption and the crime of economic participation in business. Alberto João Correia is of course innocent until proven guilty, a status he can comtemplate as he remains in custody.
Correia's membership of the Portuguese Grand Ordem Lusitano, the 'Masons' where his architect father was Grand Master from 1993-1996 and was a Minister for 'Equipamento Social' (public works, housing, transport and communications) between1982 and1985, may not be in jeapardy but will it help him now?
The police are looking at the legality of Correia granting contracts to construction companies run by fellow Masons, obviously illegal, but much will depend on the Masonic influence on the judiciary when such a high-level suspect is sitting in jail.
