Porto, March 24, 2026 (Lusa) - The secretary general of Lisbon City Council, Alberto Laplaine Guimaraes, one of four people detained in Operation "Lumen" investigating alleged economic crimes in Christmas light contracts, was suspended on Tuesday by an investigating judge.
Besides the "immediate suspension of the public duties he was exercising" in Lisbon, Porto’s Criminal Investigation Court (TIC) also ordered that he was prohibited from entering the Lisbon City Council or contacting any municipal worker or other defendants in the case.
The order signed by investigating judge Pedro Miguel Vieira, who questioned the defendants in their first judicial interrogation, said the chair of the Union of Trade and Service Associations (UACS) was also immediately suspended from her duties at the association.
Carla Salsinha is also prohibited from entering the association's premises and contacting UACS employees and the other defendants.
A manager of Castros Iluminações Festivas, based in Vila Nova de Gaia, must pay bail of €100,000 within 10 days and is also suspended from duties in the commercial companies he managed.
He is prohibited from entering the company's premises and contacting "any worker and/or manager of this company" and the other defendants.
Porto’s TIC applied these coercive measures to the four defendants because of the "danger of disturbing the course of the investigation and danger to the acquisition, conservation or veracity of evidence".
Judge Pedro Miguel Vieira also justified the decision because, "due to the nature and circumstances of the crimes and the personality of the defendants, they might continue the criminal activity or seriously disturb public order and tranquility".
Porto’s TIC "considered that the crime of criminal association was not indicated at this stage".
Judge Vieira said two defendants were "strongly suspected of 14 crimes of abuse of power" and two "strongly suspected of at least one crime of passive corruption".
Alberto Laplaine Guimarães was one of four people detained on 17 March by the Judicial Police (the PJ) in Operation "Lúmen", which involves suspicions of active and passive corruption, economic participation in business, abuse of power and criminal association related to the supply and installation of festive lighting.
Searches took place in 10 municipalities: Lisbon, Tavira, Lamego, Maia, Figueira da Foz, Viseu, Trofa, Póvoa de Varzim, Ovar and Santa Maria da Feira.
The investigation began with a complaint regarding "alleged tampering with public procurement procedures related to the supply and installation of festive lighting used at Christmas and for other festivities".
The proceedings revealed "an organised and systemic criminal scheme intended to tamper with public procurement procedures".
"Through the illegal obtaining of privileged information in exchange for financial compensation given to members of contracting entities, in subversion of transparency and competition rules, contracts worth 8 million euros were guaranteed to the targeted company," the PJ said.
JGS/LYT // ADB.
Lusa
