Élvio Sousa, Secretary General of Juntos Pelo Povo (JPP), has reignited criticism over the Curral das Freiras Cable Car project, accusing the PSD/CDS coalition of misleading the public by claiming the investment would be financed exclusively through private capital.
“Not only did the Government fund the economic feasibility study, while deliberately concealing it from Madeirans, but it also expropriated more than 20,000 square metres of land for the project, with the land acquisition paid for using the Region’s budget,” the deputy stated during a recent press conference.
Sousa further revealed that, “under the high patronage of Quinta Vigia, a concession contract was signed with a company created just before the deal. This concessionaire was to pay only €2,000 per month,€24,000 per year, for a contract that, according to the Government’s feasibility study, should have generated €37,000 per month, or €444,000 annually. This entire operation reeks of irregularity, favouritism, and potential corruption.”
He described the deal as “a PSD operation, disastrous for the people of Madeira and Porto Santo, resulting in a €24 million loss to the Region’s finances. A robbery committed in plain sight of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Court of Auditors.”
Sousa was keen to stress that JPP is not opposed to investment that supports the economic, social, or cultural development of Curral das Freiras. However, he warned the party would remain “alert and vigilant to any deal designed to feed the greed of easy profit, benefiting a privileged few while causing severe losses to the Region’s coffers.”
“We have a duty to safeguard the public interest and a responsibility to present all evidence to the proper authorities, especially in light of the passivity and inertia shown by other parties and institutions,” he said. “That’s exactly what we did in June, when all JPP deputies signed and submitted a formal complaint.”
Sousa concluded by stating: “The €24 million that Quinta Vigia has gifted away could, right now, be used to urgently invest in housing for the middle class, young couples, and all those who need a home.”
Élvio Sousa, Secretary General of the JPP, returned to the issue of the Curral das Freiras Cable Car during a recent press conference. At the time, he accused the PSD/CDS of having lied to the population by guaranteeing that the investment would be carried out only and only with private capital.
“Not only did the Government pay for the economic feasibility study and deliberately hide it from the Madeirans, but it also expropriated more than 20 thousand square metres of land for investment, land also paid for using the Region’s budget,” contextualised the deputy.
Furthermore, he added that, “with the high sponsorship of Quinta Vigia, a concession contract was signed, with a company created shortly before, in which the concessionaire would pay only 2 thousand euros per month, that is, 24 thousand euros/year. “Following the values mentioned in the study itself, the concessionaire should pay 37 thousand euros/month, totaling 444 thousand euros/year, and not the bargain of 2 thousand euros per month. The whole project, therefore, smells of turmoil, favouritism, and alleged corruption.”
“A PSD deal, ruinous for the Madeirans and Porto Santons, with a loss of 24 million for the Region’s coffers. A robbery in the beards of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Court of Auditors”, summarized Élvio Sousa, making it clear that the JPP “is not against investment that promotes the economic, social and cultural development of the parish of Curral das Freiras, however, it is attentive and vigilant to any type of bargain that aims to satisfy the greed of easy profit with privileged protagonists and with strong losses to the coffers of the Region.
“We have the obligation and responsibility to look after the public interest, and the duty to deliver all evidence to the authorities, in the face of the passivity and inertia of other parties and institutions. This is what we did last June, with a complaint signed by all the deputies. The 24 million euros that Quinta Vigia delivers on a silver platter would be enough, at this moment, to invest, at full speed, in housing for the middle class, young couples, and all those who need a home,” he concluded.
