Janice R. Andrews
Pedro Calado, the mayor of Madeira, was unexpectedly taken into custody after a stash of high-end timepieces and a €50,000 diamond were found in his office. The controversy has caused chaos in the government of the Portuguese island.
Prior to being captured, Calado, the mayor of the capital of Madeira, submitted his resignation. Along with executives from construction businesses involved in the probe, Avelino Farinha and Custódio Correia, he was taken to Lisbon for questioning.
The investigation is focused on allegations of unlawful approval of real estate projects that date back to 2015 and may be worth hundreds of millions of euros. The chairman of the regional government, Miguel Albuquerque, has also resigned in the face of accusations of corruption and power abuse, although he insists on his innocence.
According to reports, the inquiry also involves a hotel project that features the well-known football player Cristiano Ronaldo, who was born in Madeira. Concerning the construction of opulent residences in Praia Formosa, authorities are closely examining a collaboration between Ronaldo and the Pestana Hotel Group, casting doubt on the project’s legitimacy.
Situated on land owned by Ronaldo, the Formosa Bay Residences have caused controversy due to their apparent circumvention of municipal development laws. Even though the development is located in a zone that is protected by Funchal’s development plan, construction has already begun.
Given that both Calado and Albuquerque are members of the center-right Social Democratic Party, which is set to run in the next general election, the issue has broader political ramifications. This comes after socialist prime minister Antonio Costa resigned due to a different corruption scandal concerning green investment initiatives.
The popularity of Madeira as a travel destination is still in the news as investigations continue. The island’s economy benefits greatly from the huge number of British tourists it receives—more than 2.1 million visitation yearly.
In addition to posing a threat to Madeira’s political environment, the developing scandal also casts doubt on the country’s tourism sector, underscoring the urgency of prompt and comprehensive legal action to address the accusations of corruption.
