Dozens of "officials" over 80 years old, mock public tender: these and other reasons for the indictment

There is a criminal case at the Central Department of Criminal Action, at the Attorney General's Office, in which Francisco Avelino Carvalho is an accused.

Under the law, a person is constituted an accused when there are strong suspicions that they have committed one or more crimes.

In the case of Francisco Carvalho, the prosecutors suspect that he has committed several crimes while in office as Mayor of Praia.

In the case of Francisco Carvalho, the prosecutors suspect that he has committed several crimes while in office as Mayor of Praia.

Whenever there are suspicions of this nature, they must be investigated in order to ascertain whether the crimes were actually committed or whether, on the contrary, there was no criminal practice. The law says so.

How does Francisco Carvalho react to this situation? Instead of cooperating with the justice system, he attacks the Attorney General, accuses the justice system of being at the service of the MpD and the government, tries to prevent searches of the Praia City Council premises and reacts aggressively, promoting demonstrations on public roads with the use of state vehicles, including fire engines, trying to present himself as the victim of an alleged judicial and political persecution.

However, the facts of the case are not clear.

However, the facts to which Francisco Carvalho must respond are there, in plain sight, to be analyzed and evaluated.

Chapter I

As stated by the Public Prosecutor's Office in the respective warrant, the criminal proceedings under investigation are investigating facts that could be part of the commission of the crimes of Falsification of Public Documents, Undue Receipt of Advantage, Peculato, Violation of Budget Execution Rules, Defrauding Public Patrimonial Interests, Abuse of Power and Qualified Swindle.

Following the searches already carried out, the Public Prosecutor's Office has further aggravated the suspicions by also investigating the crimes of Peculato, Abuse of Power, Qualified Fraud, Illicit Participation in Business, Passive and Active Corruption and Falsification of Documents, relating to other related cases.

Chapter II

There are strong suspicions, supported by complaints and documents, of the simulation of public tenders, created only to later forge situations that would lead to their cancellation, allowing direct arrangements to be made with a previously chosen company, the award of which would have been negotiated even before the tender was launched.

According to the complaints and the documents contained in the case file, a scheme involving the UGA Coordinator, the Municipal Secretary, the Councillor for Infrastructure and the Councillor for Culture was set up within the Praia City Council, with the aim of distorting reality, deceiving control bodies, circumventing the law and, ultimately, favoring certain companies or suppliers of goods and services.

According to the same documents, the scheme was set up within the Praia City Council.

According to the same information, there are several situations in which works have been awarded directly to specific companies, without observing the legally required procedures and in unclear circumstances, often in absentia of the UGA, raising serious doubts as to the transparency and legality of these transactions.

There were also several cases of contracts for the purchase of services being signed without budgetary coverage, as well as budgetary changes made outside the City Council.

Contracts have been signed without budgetary coverage and budget amendments have been made without the proper authorization from the City Council.

Information extracted from internal systems indicates that there is an abnormal monthly movement of people on and off the payroll. It was also found that salaries were being processed for dozens of active employees over the age of 65, including around two dozen over the age of 80.

The majority of service directors are in an illegal situation, and there are cases of appointments to management positions whose duties are not actually carried out, even though their salaries are paid regularly.

Two plots of land were also granted on a leasehold basis, with areas of 826.02 m² and 1,297.97 m², located in Quebra Canela. The plots were allocated in less than transparent circumstances. The beneficiaries claim to have leasing contracts, but these documents are not in the file. In addition, several of the beneficiaries are relatives of Councillor Kyrhha Hopffer Varela, who is also a defendant in these proceedings.

On July 3, 2025, a public deed of payment in kind was signed, in which Francisco Carvalho acknowledged a debt owed by the Municipality of Praia to the company Elevolution Engenharia, S.A. - Sucursal da Praia, in the amount of 220,914,962$00, an amount considered manifestly higher than what could possibly exist. A detailed analysis of the two lawsuits filed by this company against the Municipality of Praia, in the 1st and 3rd Civil Courts of the Praia District Court, indicates that, if there were any debt, it would be substantially lower.

For the payment of the debt to Elevolution Engenharia, S.A. - Praia Branch, the amount of 220,914,962$00 was considered manifestly higher than it could have been.

In order to pay the debt assumed, Francisco Carvalho, representing the Municipality of Praia, gave the following real estate to the lawyer Cláudia Virgínia Freitas Ramos Felicidade, a person other than the creditor company:
- a plot of 10.439.27 m², located in Prainha, valued at 153,400,850$00;
- a plot of 765.73 m², in Cidadela/Cova Minhoto, valued at 7,596,303$00;
- a plot of 546.18 m², in the same area, valued at 5,134,078$00;
- a plot of 159.97 m², valued at 1,324,353$00.

As this is a sale of municipal property, under the terms of Article 81(2)(h) of the Municipal Statute, this operation should have been submitted to the Municipal Assembly for approval, which was not the case.

Thus, several relevant questions arise: why was this process conducted in a clandestine manner, without scrutiny from the municipal elected representatives and the residents of Praia? What was it intended to hide? And why were 29 state-owned houses and a plot of land of more than 10,400 m², in a highly valued location, sold for that price and without transparency?

The transfer of the property to the State was a success.

The transfer of the Prainha land took place four years after the Municipality of Praia had sold the same property to the State of Cape Verde, at a time when it had been asked to issue a land registry certificate and location plan.

In other words, the Municipality of Praia and its Mayor, Francisco Carvalho, were fully aware that they were selling a property that had already been transferred to the State, which indicates the practice of qualified fraud.

In the course of the investigation, the Municipality of Praia sold the property to the State of Cape Verde.

During the course of the investigations, new facts came to light. On February 25, 2025, the Mayor sold Suzano Inocêncio Comeu a tract of land with a total area of 175 m², located in Cidadela, for the sum of 1,157,625$00.

On February 14, 2025, the Municipality of Praia signed a purchase and sale contract with a mortgage with Maria Madalena Fortes Tavares, relating to a tract of land in Palmarejo Grande, for 390,950$00.

These plots of land, located in Cidadela and Palmarejo Grande, were sold at prices far below those practiced in the market, causing damage to the municipal treasury and to the legitimate interests of the Municipality, as well as having been sold without the authorization of the Municipal Assembly.

Chapter III

Francisco Carvalho is being investigated by the courts because there are strong suspicions that he has committed several crimes while Mayor of Praia. The purpose of the searches was to collect relevant documents, which will have to be analyzed by the judicial authorities in order to ascertain, more rigorously, whether or not crimes were committed by Francisco Carvalho, by municipal officials or by third parties with whom the City Council had dealings.

Francisco Carvalho is being investigated by the courts because there are strong suspicions that he committed several crimes while mayor of Praia.