Rita Santos investigated in Portugal for an alleged fake visa scheme

Councilor Rita Santos, who temporarily held the position of Councilor for Portuguese Communities, has stepped down from her role amid two ongoing investigations in Portugal. One involves allegations of electoral fraud, while another centers on a criminal probe into expedited “fake visas” in Macau, the weekly newspaper Plataforma reported.

The visas case, which originated in Guangzhou has now been taken over by the Department of Investigation and Criminal Prosecution (DIAP). Authorities have gathered enough evidence to proceed with the investigation. The case has been assigned a number, and the relevant political bodies have been notified. Investigators had intended to notify Santos during her expected trip to Lisbon, last week, for the plenary session of the Council of Portuguese Communities, but she unexpectedly decided to temporarily suspend her mandate before that as the Times previously reported.

Reports indicate that authorities had faced difficulties notifying Santos, following a complaint of electoral fraud lodged by the National Electoral Commission. The investigation will examine Santos’ potential involvement in expediting certain false visa cases. 

Meanwhile, Rui Marcelo, an advisor to the Portuguese communities elected by the Asian constituency and who took the leadership role after the suspension of duties from Santos, has joined the team of Flávio Martins, who was reappointed as president of the Permanent Council of the Council of Portuguese Communities (CCP). Marcelo will serve as secretary, while Paulo Marques and Vasco Abreu will serve as vice-president and secretary, respectively. Marcelo was also chosen as president of the regional council for the Asia and Oceania area.

The temporary suspension of Santos’ mandate has a maximum period of 60 days, which means the deadline for her to resume her duties ends in December this year. Elections for the Legislative Assembly of Macau will only take place the following year. During her absence, councilors Rui Marcelo and Marília Coutinho will remain in office, while Luís Nunes, the first alternate, will assume the position of third effective councilor. Victoria Chan