Francisco Tavares becomes the first former mayor of Brava to be charged in 35 years of local government

According to information gathered, the case is currently being investigated by the Brava District Court and is under the responsibility of the Central Department for Criminal Action (DCAP) of the Attorney General's Office. As part of the ongoing investigations, Francisco Tavares has been formally summoned to give evidence.

According to the notification, the former mayor will be heard on February 27, at 3 p.m., at the Brava District Attorney's Office.

Since the institutionalization of local power in Cape Verde, the Brava City Council has been led by various political figures: Jorge Nogueira, José Maria Gonçalves de Barros, Camilo Gonçalves, Orlando Balla, Francisco Tavares himself and, currently, Amândio Brito.

Until now, none of the previous mayors had been charged in legal proceedings related to their performance of municipal duties, which makes this case particularly sensitive from a political and institutional point of view.

Sources linked to the process indicate that being named as a defendant does not imply guilt, but is a procedural stage aimed at guaranteeing the rights of the defense and allowing the Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate further.

The judicial authorities are continuing to take steps to ascertain the facts and, for the time being, no public details have been released about the specific acts that underpin the suspicions.

It should be noted that the aforementioned department searched Francisco Tavares' home in the Castelo area of Nova Sintra, seizing a computer, cell phone and some documents.

The case has generated strong expectations on the island of Brava and among the emigrant community, given the political relevance of Francisco Tavares, who served as mayor in one of the recent periods of municipal governance.

Local observers believe that the next steps in the process - namely the scheduled testimony - could be decisive for the direction of the investigation.

So far, there has been no formal public reaction from the former president to his being named as a defendant, not least because he is reportedly banned from using social media and from contacting other people involved in the case.

The case is proceeding legally in the Brava District Court.