Mogadouro former mayor and seven others acquitted of abuse of power

The Bragança court has acquitted the former mayor of Mogadouro, Francisco Guimarães, along with seven other defendants, including former council members and employees, of charges involving prevarication and abuse of power. The case centered on municipal contracts awarded between 2014 and 2018 to security companies that lacked the necessary legal licenses or authorizations to operate.

The judge ruled that the facts were not proven and that there was no evidence of criminal intent regarding the hiring processes, which involved approximately 200,000 euros. Guimarães expressed satisfaction with the verdict, stating that the acquittal after nine years of legal proceedings demonstrates that no wrongdoing occurred.