Criminal Complaint filed against Porto Mayor Rui Moreira for Defamation: Latest Updates

The president of the Bolha de Água association and a trader at one of the stores at Mercado do Bolhão filed a criminal complaint for defamation against the mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, as a result of statements made at a meeting management.

In a statement, the merchant says she formally filed the complaint on Monday by handing over the documents to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

With an announcement from Lusa, the Porto Chamber said today that it was not aware of the criminal complaint filed by the trader, but instead of three complaints previously filed against it, two by GO Porto (one from the vice president and an employee). ), and one for the city.

“The statements made by the president at a municipal management meeting are based on the evidence given at that same public meeting by the municipal company that manages the Bolhão Market”, he said.

In case there are statements made by Rui Moreira at the executive meeting on February 26, after a proposal from BE for the city to evaluate the management of the equipment and promote the active participation of traders.

At the time, Rui Moreira said that it was not possible to confuse the work done by the services of the municipal company responsible for the management of the market, GO Porto, with a “set of lies” spread by the association.

“We have someone who was a tenant, but is no longer there, and who wants to politicize the issue. I am very sorry, but he will not talk to me about the issue”, said the mayor.

According to the merchant, the considerations harmed the reputation of the company and its brand.

“On that day and the following, among other defamatory and valuable statements, it was said that the company and therefore Helena Ferreira was a previous tenant, that she had been a tenant but not she was no longer a tenant and would hand over the place by March 19, 2024”, he says.

Helena Ferreira says that despite “not Rui Moreira or Cátia Meirinhos’ desire, “she is still a tenant at the store.

This criminal complaint for defamation adds to another filed in October 2023 against GO Porto’s vice-president, Cátia Meirinhos, and against “uncertain from the office of the president” , which led to an investigation by the Criminal Code Department of Investigation and Action (DIAP) of the District of Porto.

“The first examination of this process, as a plaintiff, was held on April 24, 2024, at DIAP Porto, with Helena Ferreira giving Rui Moreira the opportunity to withdraw the infamous case before – hand, which did not happen”, he says.

At the beginning of this year, Helena Ferreira again sent a new criminal complaint for committing crimes of threat and abuse of power, which also went to DIAP.

In this complaint, the merchant accuses the city of “trying to cancel the work permit with several questionable moves”.

“The work of the previous tenant, despite the problems and difficulties, has entered the final stage, with preparations for the opening of the store starting next week”, the he says, because he has become “a target to be shot down by those who rule the city and rule the Bolhão Market”.