José Amarelinho, mayor of Aljezur, appealed the decision of the Court of Appeal of Évora, last June 13, which confirmed the suspended sentence of three years and two months in prison and the loss of a municipal mandate due to to the legalization of works in Vale da Telha.
The mayor advanced to the Sul Informação that “an appeal has already been sent to the Constitutional Court and an appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice is also being prepared”.
In 2012, the Lagos Court sentenced Amarelinho to a suspended prison sentence of three years and two months, pending execution upon payment of five thousand euros to the Nature Protection League, for malfeasance, in the licensing of works in Vale da Telha, when the now mayor was a councilor.
Manuel Marreiros, former mayor of the Chamber, was also sentenced in the same case, for the crime of malfeasance, loss of mandate and a suspended prison sentence of four years and three months, upon payment of five thousand euros to the Almargem association.
Amarelinho and Manuel Marreiros resorted and, in 2013, the Court of Appeal of Évora annulled the judgment of the Court of Lagos, for "deficient critical analysis of the evidence produced" at first instance.
The mayors returned to the Court of Lagos, a new judgment was drafted and now, after another appeal, the Court of Appeal of Évora has confirmed the sentence.
This is one of the arguments invoked by José Amarelinho to appeal this decision. Amarelinho explains that “four years ago, the Court of Appeal said different things and considered the sentence null and void for lack of critical analysis of the evidence, now it comes to say something different. There must now be a higher court to decide this case”.
“I didn't commit any crime by legalizing constructions in Vale da Telha and I'm going to the last resort to prove it. I have a clear conscience and this will be proved in the higher instances», adds Amarelinho.
With local elections at the door – in which he will re-candidate for the presidency of the Chamber – José Amarelinho says he is not worried about the possible consequences of this case.
«Both Manuel Marreiros and I did not commit any crime. I would commit a crime was it not for elections to solve the problems of Aljezur and the detailed plan of Vale da Telha, which is in the process of being resolved», he concludes.
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