Contractor João dos Santos Carvalho, owner of Construbarcelos, performed construction work on the home of Álvaro Pires, financial director of the Polícia Judiciária, in Charneca da Caparica late last year, according to a joint investigation by Portuguese media outlets that has triggered an internal audit by the Ministry of Justice in August 2026.
The widening investigation into public contracts and personal favors involving top Portuguese police leadership has reached the financial director of the Polícia Judiciária. Neighbors in Charneca da Caparica confirmed to reporting teams that they witnessed recent construction activity at the residence of Álvaro Pires, pointing to the prolonged presence of work vans parked near the property.
The Construbarcelos Connection and the Seixal Trailer Case
The focus on Pires ties back to earlier controversies surrounding the handling of a seized drug trailer. The equipment had been seized during the Operação Pacoba and stored on Navy land in Seixal, where chemical products were exposed to a fire risk while the storage park remained severely overcrowded. Instead, Pires informally suggested turning the asset over to Construbarcelos for storage.
That informal arrangement was authorized by Luís Neves, the former national director of the PJ who now serves as the minister of administration internal. According to the investigation, the company run by João dos Santos Carvalho ultimately secured 17 contracts with the police agency carrying a global value exceeding two million euros.
Neighborhood Sightings and Documented Vehicle Registrations
Investigators tracked the construction link through local witness accounts and vehicle identification. Residents reported seeing a white van parked near Pires’s home for weeks at a time. One neighbor recorded the vehicle, allowing journalists to trace its license plate directly to Construbarcelos, the enterprise owned by João Carvalho.
Further checks by television reporters revealed that another vehicle bearing a Barcelos car dealership advertisement remained parked near the street corner between late June and November 2025, complete with a brick wedged against its wheel as if abandoned. Pires later submitted a payment to a mechanic linked to that same vehicle, which eventually returned to the contractor’s facilities.
Denials and the Government-Ordered Internal Audit
When confronted by reporters regarding invoices for the residential work, Pires offered a blunt dismissal. The financial director of the PJ stated that he did not know what they were talking about, denying that any such intervention took place. Both João dos Santos Carvalho and Pires have consistently rejected claims that the contractor performed home renovations.
The revelations prompted swift administrative intervention. On Thursday, the Ministry of Justice ordered a formal internal assessment and independent audit of the Polícia Judiciária. The stated objective of the oversight is to contextualize the issues that have been brought to light, according to the ministry’s formal guidance.
Political Pressure and Next Steps for Investigators
The political fallout has intensified as the presidency weighs in on the institutional scrutiny facing law enforcement leadership. President António José Seguro publicly demanded that both the newly ordered administrative audit and ongoing criminal inquiries yield results as quickly as possible, urging swift accountability from the agencies involved.
With multiple contracts under review and the network of personal and professional ties between police executives and private contractors now exposed to public oversight, the findings of the Ministry of Justice audit will determine whether further administrative or disciplinary action follows for the senior finance official.
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