The former mayor of Tavira, and latterly of Faro, Macário Correia is intent on his "right to the restitution of truth" and the reinstatement of his "good name" after his long-running legal battle which culminated in his removal from office.
Correia says he has the "right to his good name," and announced today he is to appeal the sentence of removal from office having been found guilty of the illegal licensing of building works when mayor of Tavira.
Macário Correia was accused of several planning violations between 2005 and 2009 by granting building licences that did not accord with the Algarve's Land Management Plan or Tavira’s Municipal Master Plan.
Correia has been embroiled in various legal processes ever since and now says that a further appeal will be submitted to the Supreme Administrative Court, but this time with new grounds.
"I was accused in a generic process, without specific cases being analysed, which is completely unfair, i.e. when someone is convicted on the basis of assumptions, without specific cases analysed on an individual basis.”
Correia said that his appeal will be submitted to the Supreme Court where the original decision was taken, and he "aims to prove to the court that there was no basis for its original decision."
When running Frao council, Correia went through a series of court processes, suspensions, an absence and a final reappearance up until the council elections in September 2013 when Rogério Bacalhao took over as mayor.
Correia spent June 2013 at home while suspended, pending the examination of an appeal as to his conviction for loss of office in which he said that the facts that led to this conviction were contradictory.
In April 2014 the Supreme Administrative Court decided to stay the judgment and loss of mandate decision issued in June 2013, but later the judges produced a new judgment confirming their decision.
Correia was not long in the dole queue after he left Faro council, accepting a job as chief Executive of Algar, the collectors and sorters of the Algarve's waste.
On taking up his new post, Correia commented, with his trade-mark reserve, "I think I have the personal qualities to perform well in this position."
Correia replaced José Manuel Perdigao at Algar. Perdiago had to move back to Águas do Algarve but not as Director as that post is taken by Isabel Soares, the former mayor of Silves.
In the recent 'jobs for the boys' study that analysed over 11,000 appointments in Portugal’s public administration the conclusion was that that it is still very much a case of 'jobs for the boys' for the ruling classes at least, with posts being handed out in order to control public administration, and as rewards.
See also: http://www.algarvedailynews.com/news/1492-correia-starts-his-new-rubbish-job
