Ângelo Pereira Requests New Suspension of Councilor Mandate and Will Not Return to Lisbon City Council

Ângelo Pereira, the municipal councilor and leader of the PSD's Lisbon district, has requested an extension of his mandate suspension for an additional 180 days, meaning he will not resume his duties at the Lisbon City Council (CML). This decision comes as he faces accusations in the Tutti-Frutti case, specifically for the alleged crime of recebimento indevido de vantagem (receipt of undue advantage).

Ângelo Pereira is the president of the PSD's Lisbon district and was a councilor in the executive led by Carlos Moedas. Credit: ANTÓNIO COTRIM/LUSA

Pereira initially suspended his mandate for 180 days in February after being accused in the Tutti-Frutti case, stating he was stepping aside to request the opening of the instruction phase and asserting his belief in his complete lack of criminal responsibility. However, the instruction phase of this major process has not yet formally begun.

The initial suspension period ended on August 4, but Pereira requested the extension on August 5. The municipal executive confirms that this new suspension will last beyond the end of the current mandate, effectively preventing his return. The request is expected to be approved in the next council meeting scheduled for early next month.

As a result, Rui Cordeiro, who replaced Pereira, will continue in the councilor role until the new executive takes office after the October 12 elections. Carlos Moedas, the mayor, had immediately accepted Pereira's initial suspension request. Unlike Inês Drummond (PS), another councilor accused in the same case who resigned, Pereira chose not to renounce his mandate.

If convicted, the Public Ministry had requested the loss of his mandate, but this measure is now moot as Pereira will not return to his position or run in the upcoming elections. The accusations stem from a 2015 trip to China paid for by the tech company Huawei, involving Pereira, Sérgio Azevedo (then PSD deputy), and Luís Newton (PSD leader in Lisbon). Pereira claims the accusation is unjust and absurd, arguing that the trip was for municipal duties in Oeiras and he should not have to bear the expenses, which amounted to 598.02 euros.