Golden Visa enquiry - SEF inspectors 'are immune from any form of corruption'

A statement from the SINSEF Union representing employees of the Borders and Aliens Service (SEF), subsequent to the arrest on Thursday of its national director in the 'golden visa' corruption investigation called Operation Labyrinth, expresses the solidarity of all SEF workers and says its members will wait for the conclusion of the investigation.

“In the wake of the news coming out involving high-ranking public figures in general and this institution in particular, the Union expresses its solidarity with all SEF staff and calmly awaits the completion of investigations and the justice of the rule of law that we stand for.”

On Thursday, another Union with members in the SEF, the Association of Career Research and Supervisory Staff (SCIF/SEF), highlighted the skills of the SEF service, stressing that the detention of the national director casts suspicion on a service that has "distinguished itself for its capacity, technological innovation and, above all, by the unquestionable seriousness of the inspectors that are part of its staff."

The SCIF/SEF found also that during the years in which he acted as national director of the SEF, Manuel Jarmela Palos "acted in strict fulfillment of his powers and respect for the law," although it is not known how the Union leaders know this and may change their minds when the phone tapping transcripts are made available.

The statement continued, noting that SEF inspectors “are serious, principled and immune to any form of corruption," yet many of their middle management have been arrested, due primarily to the phone tapping of incriminating conversations, and now are being questioned by police.

How the national director of the SEF feels about this statement of undying loyalty remains to be seen as he is one of the 11 people arrested on Thursday by the judicial police, suspected of corruption, money laundering, influence peddling and embezzlement in connection with the 'golden visa' investigation and has been before judge Carlos Alexandre for an initial hearing.

Among those detained were the president of the Institute of Registries and Notaries, António Figueiredo, and the secretary-general of the Ministry of Justice, Maria Antónia Anes. Also arrested as she turned uo for work was Albertina Gonçalves, the Secretary General of the Ministry of the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy (MAOTE). She later resigned.

During the investigation, multiple searches were conducted in various parts of the country, including at the Ministry of the Interior whose director Miguel Macedo some consider to have been set up in a politically motivated move.

Macedo is said to have offered his resignation to Passos Coelho today but that the Prime Minister refused to accept it, although this remains unconfirmed by either party.

Macedo is a close friend of the president of the Institute of Registries and Notaries, António Figueiredo who is one of those arrested. They met at college 30 years ago.

Miguel Macedo also was in business with Ana Luísa Figueiredo, daughter of António Figueiredo, a consultant to companies and municipalities but the company hardly traded and Miguel Macedo resigned from it when he joined the government.

Ana Luísa Figueiredo is a business partner with two Portuguese nationals and two Chinese nationals of another company, Golden Vista Europe, which is being investigated in the current operation.

Miguel Macedo was not arrested despite his close links to some of those allegedly involved but the opposition are briefing against him as if the PSD win the next election Macedo’s name is in the hat for new party leader and perhaps Prime Minister.

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