Brother-in-law of key government minister target of PJ police swoop – Portugal Resident

The home and the business premises of Ricardo Leitão Machado – brother-in-law of minister of the presidency António Leitão Amaro – are being searched by PJ police today in an operation focused on suspicions of corruption in public tender processes for the hiring of fire-fighting helicopters .

This is not the first time questions have been raised about the public contracts granted to Gesticopter – one of Leitão Machado’s businesses. Operation Control Tower, as this investigation has been called, opened last year, and involves a number of family members of minister Leitão Amaro. It centres on the alleged cartel practices among competing companies in public tenders which appears to have ‘manipulated tenders’ valued at around €100 million.

SIC Notícias broke this latest news of PJ searches this morning, while Expresso reveals that the contract “at issue” was one finalised before Ricardo Leitão Machado became associated with Gesticopter. Nonetheless, “authorities suspect that the businessman already exercised control of the company at this time.”

Almost exactly a year ago Expresso reported that at issue in this investigation is an “alleged criminal network which, since at least 2022 has manipulated public tender processes relating to the operation, maintenance, and management of the state’s air fleet dedicated to the Special Device for Combating Rural Fires (DECIR) to the value of around €100 million. The alleged objective being “to create a shortage of public air resources to force the state to resort to more expensive services provided by companies controlled by this group”.

At the time, Minister for the Presidency, Antonio Leitão Amaro, confirmed that he was aware that a company with family ties had competed in public tenders in this area, and stated that he had thus excused himself, in the Council of Ministers, from discussing matters related to firefighting.

But, the name of Ricardo Leitão Machado has appeared associated with other recent investigations and controversies, Expresso points out today. In February, the Attorney General’s Office confirmed that it has received two letters rogatory sent by Angolan authorities related to the businessman.

Sábado has also reported that Angolan authorities want to cite Ricardo Leitão Amaro as an official defendant over suspicions of qualified fraud in business deals realised in Angola through his company, Aenergy. Expresso stresses that this information has not been officially confirmed – while, in interview with the paper, Ricardo Leitão Amaro has admitted that he is being accused of fraud by the Angolan government – in the context of a dispute related to Aenergy’s contracts for the supply and operation of power plants in Angola.

Returning to the central issue of Gesticopter, SIC explains that Leitão Machado “created this company in 2024” as a result of the transformation of another business, Gestifly. Both signed contracts with the Portuguese state: Gestifly having celebrated five since 2024, valued at around €10.5 million.

“Last year Gesticopter signed a contract for €16 million with the state, via a public tender process, to supply aircraft for the combat of wildfires between 2025 and 2027. The agreement secures the rental of three heavy-duty helicopters and represents an expenditure of more than €16.3 million, which with taxes rises to more than €20 million,” says SIC.

In its original statement on Operation Control Tower, the PJ intimated that ‘crimes of active and passive corruption, qualified fraud, abuse of power, trafficking of influences, criminal association and qualified fiscal fraud’ are all on the docket.

Sources: SIC Notícias/ Expresso