José Amarelinho does not give up on proving his innocence in the long judicial process, in several instances, which led to his loss of mandate as mayor of Aljezur, a position he formally resigned on 7 May, after suspending it on 20 March.
In an interview with Sul Informação, the former aljezurense mayor revealed that he had filed, «with the Supreme Court of Justice, two appeals for the Uniformization of Jurisprudence, now that the case has become final, considering that there is a conflict regarding the decisions rendered».
The fact is that, he recalled, the first judgment of the Court of Lagos “was even annulled by the Court of Appeal of Évora, due to the absence, among others, of the indispensable critical analysis of the evidence”.
"I also recall that the only issue present in judgment was the improper licensing of works in Vale da Telha and not any other issue, which can only be referred to by malice or deception, which is beyond dispute and very clearly expressed" in the judgment, he added.
As for the formal resignation of his mandate, for which he had been re-elected in the Municipalities of last October, Amarelinho stresses that his "resolution" is based on the fulfillment of what was determined by the Court of Appeal of Évora, in the sense of his loss of mandate, that, after all the steps taken, it was “a legal obligation to fulfill”.
If I didn't, that could be interpreted as "willful disobedience, which I would never allow."
“I thus materialized, in an unequivocal and unquestionable way, the respect for the Courts and their learned sentences”, added, vehemently, José Amarelinho.
“I firmly believe in Justice! We may not agree with your learned decisions, we cannot, under any circumstances, challenge you, disqualify or disrespect you, no matter how much we think you were wrong or not fair. Yes, we can, and it is a right that assists us, to exhaust all the legal means and forms that Justice provides, enshrines and confers, regardless of the result we may obtain».
Hence the decision to file two new appeals with the Supreme Court of Justice, taking advantage of the «basic principle that our rule of law allows us».
The former mayor of Aljezur reaffirms that, "in conscience", "I never benefited or harmed anyone during my municipal function, particularly in licensing of private works in Vale da Telha". However, "I have not been able to prove in Court the certainty that I affirm".
As a “responsible man, without hurt or prejudice”, Amarelinho says he accepts “humbly the learned sentence”, but this does not prevent him from exhausting “all the legal procedures and forms at my disposal”.
«I know and know of my calm and clean conscience, as well as my impartiality, honesty and verticality as a man and mayor that I was. Have I ever been wrong? Of course! If I was a councilor and president who pleased everyone? Of course not! Am I proud of the work I developed as a mayor? Very! For over sixteen years, I have always placed Aljezur and the Aljezurenses above everything else», he stressed, in his interview with Sul Informação.
Having completed another step in this long process, the socialist mayor, who was the great activist against the exploitation of oil and hydrocarbons in the Algarve, says he has some things to regret.
"I regret not having been able to fulfill the municipal commitment largely supported by the Aljezurenses in the last elections", as well as regretting, "very particularly, not completing the elaboration of the Detailed Plan for Vale da Telha, which is already in its final stretch" .
But José Amarelinho says that it is his «deepest conviction» that «the new and current mayor, José Gonçalves, as well as councilor Fátima Neto and councilor António Carvalho» will continue the work «in an exemplary way, so well, and even better than me".
They are, he insists on stressing, "exceptional mayors, experienced, competent, hardworking, determined, reliable, dynamic that I greatly admire and love."
But the former mayor also has a word of encouragement for opposition councilors, Rogério Furtado (CDU) and Helder Cabrita (PSD), "with whom I had the privilege and honor of working for six months."
«As opposition and without being on a permanent basis, they will continue to give their best and all contributions to more and better Aljezur. I do not have any doubt!".
Therefore, he adds to wish «all the executives the greatest happiness and success in all areas of their lives, municipal, personal and professional».
As for the Aljezurenses, from whom José Amarelinho says he only received «solidarity, friendship, affection, strength and understanding», the former mayor says he leaves «a huge debt of gratitude that I will never be able to pay, even if I bring them every day in my heart".
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