Mácario Correia has been accused of illegal issuing a license to build a house in an ecologically sensitive area. The maximum sentence, if he is found guilty, is 8 years in prison.
The prosecution’s case against Tavira and Faro’s former mayor is that Correia gave the go-ahead to build a house in a National Ecological Reserve area, overruling the 'unfavorable' opinions of two Tavira council’s technicians.
Correia says that he was "misled by a former colleague" from Tavira council and now is being prosecuted for ‘malfeasance in public office.’
Correia could get between two and eight years in prison, the longer sentence only if his behaviour was deliberate and routine.
Of the former colleague, whom Correia declines to mention by name, he said, "this person told me something and later, something else," adding that he never forged anything and that he is being hung out to dry by people whom he used to trust.
The prosecution says that Correia, by granting planning permission, gave an 'economic uplift' to the site and the owner of the land and was fully aware that he was acting illegally.
Correia says that he only approved the location and the design but that, "The work was never done, hence there has been no material advantage."
Many in Tavira see Correia as the 'man who got things done' and suspect the allegations against him are politically motivated.
His time as Faro's mayor was blighted by the distraction of spending much time and energy fighting court actions to have him removed from office for things he had done when mayor of Tavira.
Comments
Fabrica, the house of Mr and Mrs John Kerry, he being the US Secretary of State.... it is a mystery how this house was given permission as it is within the Maritime Domain and Polis therefore should be demolishing it....
And almost all disputes will involve mis-information about property. Amongst which will be what it is that you are paying for, who exactly owns it and what is allowed to be done with that property.
Yet the municipals will have the actual official description of your property. All the answers. That it exists, that it is habitable and not actually a farm shed. How it can be developed.
So it stands to reason that all the Algarve municipals will have, from time to time, become involved with helping 'lawyer supervised scams'.
If nothing more than with vagueness in answering queries or perhaps even supplying one of their tecnico's or architects to proxy steer a build.
So amongst the thousands of private property developments that must have crossed Correia's desk over the years - how many were in the 'deliberate muddle because its an earner' file ?
OK these Portuguese mayors are no doubt mysteriously yet seriously wealthy which the average Brit. yob isn't .... but otherwise they are rated on the Portuguese equivalent of the number of stolen car hub caps stored in their garage or how many aerials they bent on the way back from school.
Not reaching all the bases of what the EU needs to build a great new future for all its citizens.
When we consider the enormities committed by the former mayors of Portimão and Silves, Correia´s fault - if it was one - is minor. Particularly if the work was never done.
I refer again to the enormous new house built in the Ria Formosa Natural Park at the entrance to Fábrica - not in Tavira; how did that happen, and who was responsible for allowing it?