Posted on the Algarve Daily News Website  on Wednesday, 09 October 2013

 “Condemned Aljezur mayors may yet slip through the net  

The Court of Lagos today postponed to November 6th the reopening of the trial of the mayors of Aljezur, at the request of defence lawyers.

According to the mayors’ legal team, the defendants have no knowledge of the charge on which they were indicted and therefore wait to be informed so they can prepare their defence. “The accused must be informed of the charge and then will have to respond within the deadline set by law to submit a defence.”

In June 2012 the Court of Lagos condemned Manuel Marreiros, president of the municipal assembly of Aljezur and José Amarelinho, president of Aljezur council, to suspended prison sentences and the loss of their positions for the proven crimes of malfeasance in licensing works in Vale da Telha, Aljezur.

Next, the Court of Appeal in Évora determined that the judgements were invalid on the grounds that the court had displayed a poor critical analysis of the evidence. The appeal court recommended a new judgment having reviewed the evidence, or a whole new trial.

The president of the municipality, José Amarelinho, was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of three years and two months, suspended upon payment of €5,000 to the League for the Protection of Nature, and loss of office.

The current president of the municipal council and former mayor of Aljezur, Manuel Marreiros was sentenced to four years and three months in prison, of the payment of €5,000 to the environmental association ALMARGEM, and removal from office.

According to the review by the Court of Appeal in Évora the two defendants were not informed of the possibility of removal from office should they be found guilty, and there had been a change in the legal classification of the acts described in the indictment.

In the recent local elections José Amarelinho (PS) was re-elected Mayor of Aljezur with an absolute majority.”