Portugal Police Judiciary contracts scandal deepens government criticism

The Polícia Judiciária (PJ) awarded 17 contracts to the construction firm Construbarcelos, owned by João Carvalho, a close associate of Interior Minister Luís Neves. The contracts, signed between 2019 and 2025, total more than €2.23 million. Only three were subject to market competition; the remaining 14 were concluded under the exceptional “exclusive procurement” regime, raising questions about transparency and potential abuse of power. The three highest‑value contracts exceeded their budgets by about €345,000 each, an average overrun of roughly 28 %.

The controversy has fed into a broader political fallout. A July Barómetro DN/Aximage poll recorded the government’s lowest approval rating since taking office, with just 3 % of respondents rating the administration “very good” and 68 % rating it “poor” or “very poor”. Ministers Luís Neves and Fernando Alexandre have been cited in the string of scandals, and Neves has pledged to answer the accusations point by point. The episode underscores growing public distrust in the ruling AD coalition and intensifies pressure on Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s cabinet.