The reading of the sentence in the case involving the former president of Valongo City Council, Paulo Esteves Ferreira, and the current president, José Manuel Ribeiro, for abuse of power, was postponed to September 24 at 2:00 PM. The postponement was due to the presentation, by the judge of the Valongo Court, of a non-substantial amendment to the facts, after which the defense requested time to analyze the document.
The case concerns the prohibition of traffic on Municipal Road 606 (EM606) of trucks to the Sobrado landfill, ordered in 2020 by the municipality, when José Manuel Ribeiro was president and Paulo Esteves Ferreira was a councilor with the portfolios of municipal works and mobility. The measure was in effect for three months and led to the closure of the landfill.
The companies responsible for operating the landfill, Retria and Recivalongo, claim damages exceeding 1.5 million euros. According to the Public Ministry, the defendants knew that EM606 was the only access road to the companies' facilities and that their activity depended almost entirely on materials transported by trucks. The accusation maintains that the prohibition was imposed with the concrete purpose of causing harm to the companies, preventing the exercise of their activity.
In July, the Public Ministry requested a suspended prison sentence for both defendants, as well as the conviction and removal from office of the current president. The relationship between the municipality and the companies that operate the landfill has been marked by conflict since 2019.
