Tiago Mayan resigned from his position as president of the board of the Union of Parishes of Foz, Aldoar and Nevogilde. The dismissal relates to a situation that has caused discomfort in Porto city hall for some time, due to the management of the association’s support fund and the cooperative budget. In both cases, these are funds transferred by the council to the parish councils, which are intended to finance projects by local associations; and Mayan admits she tried to get it with false signatures after missing the registration deadlines.
In this process, the associations submit their candidacy to the respective parish council, which is a jury responsible for deciding which projects are approved. After that, the boards must present a report to the city hall with a map of the allocation of the funds.
The global value of these funds, according to the Lusa agency, is 875 thousand euros. As in previous editions, the parish councils support associations, and the municipality allocates a maximum budget of 120 thousand euros to each parish. The parishes should send the jury’s final report by June 30, in order to conclude an inter-administrative contract with the municipality to grant support.
Forged signatures
From what PÚBLICO learned from sources who followed the process, Tiago Mayan missed all the deadlines that the board was obligated to in this process, which left the associations at risk of not receiving any support. According to a city council source who said PUBLICO, the president of the municipality, Rui Moreira, has already warned Mayan that he would fulfill his contractual obligations or he would not receive the funds planned for this year.
According to the agency, in the minutes of a private meeting that took place on Wednesday, it is said that the jury did not draft the minutes related to the meeting of the jury of the Support Fund of the Portuguese Association, dated September 16, “by the jury. , than – hardly signed by them, that it is a false document and affixed signatures of someone else”.
According to the document, which Lusa had access to this Friday, November 8, when he addressed the document, Mayan confirmed that he was the one who prepared the document and put the signatures, placing this responsibility himself, which exempts him from all blame. other members of its executive and co-workers.
Doubts arose later, in a meeting that was held online Last Monday, the jury questioned Tiago Mayan about the deadlines for preliminary hearing statements. “To which he replied that he had sent the draft of the aforementioned report 15 days ago. email”the minutes say, adding that “in light of the effort to shift the burden of responsibility to the jury” the in-person meeting was then scheduled for Wednesday.
“While checking all the documents in a shared folder on the board’s server, the jury found that there was a minute (…) that makes the jury responsible for the request for exemption from a prior hearing, making claims for compliance. with deadlines imposed by the municipality.”
Mayan takes “full responsibility”
Mayan announced his resignation at the meeting between the council executive and the candidacy jury. In a personal statement sent on Thursday night and quoted by Lusa, Mayan said “the personal conditions to continue operating” the job were not met.
“Today I made the very difficult decision to give him up”, said Tiago Mayan, adding that the reason is his “total responsibility”. “It binds me alone, and the other members of the executive or any employees who have never had any direct or indirect knowledge or involvement in the actions or omissions I have made to exempt from this responsibility”, he said.
Tiago Mayan, in September 2021, was elected president of the junta with 36.92% of the votes, by the independent movement Rui Moreira: Aqui Há Porto, with the support of the Liberal Initiative (IL), CDS, Nós Cidadãos e Mais. Ana Júlia Furtado, José Ramos, Laura Lages Brito, Germano Castro Pinheiro, Tiago Lourenço (PSD) and Claudia Bravo (PSD) were elected to the executive board of the board.
Tiago Mayan, a former IL presidential candidate, formalized his candidacy for party leadership in July because he was dissatisfied with the direction of the party.
Updated on the morning of November 8 with information reported by the Lusa agency.
Time.news Editor: Welcome to Time.news, where we delve into the latest headlines and their implications. Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Professor Ana Silva, a political scientist specializing in local governance and public administration. We’re going to unpack the recent resignation of Tiago Mayan as president of the Union of Parishes of Foz, Aldoar, and Nevogilde, and the surrounding controversy. Welcome, Professor Silva!
Professor Ana Silva: Thank you for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here.
Time.news Editor: Let’s dive right in. Tiago Mayan resigned amidst allegations of mishandling funds intended for local associations. Can you give us some context about why these funds are so crucial for local communities?
Professor Ana Silva: Absolutely. Local association funds are vital as they empower grassroots initiatives that address community needs—from cultural activities to social services. In this case, we’re talking about a pot of 875,000 euros allocated to support various projects. When these funds are mismanaged, it directly impacts the community’s capability to carry out important work.
Time.news Editor: The situation escalated with allegations of forged signatures to circumvent missed deadlines for these funds. How does this affect public trust in local governance?
Professor Ana Silva: Forgery, particularly within the context of public office, is a serious breach of trust. It undermines the integrity of local governance and can discourage civic engagement. Citizens expect transparency and accountability from their elected officials. When these expectations are violated, it creates disillusionment and can lead to increased skepticism towards local authorities.
Time.news Editor: Mayan’s resignation came after he admitted to preparing a document with false signatures. In your opinion, what measures should be taken to prevent such incidents in the future?
Professor Ana Silva: This incident highlights the need for stricter oversight and auditing processes within local governments. Regular audits can help ensure that funds are allocated properly and that all documentation is legitimate. Additionally, fostering a culture of transparency and encouraging whistleblowing can empower those within the organization to come forward if they notice irregularities.
Time.news Editor: The article mentioned that the president of the municipality, Rui Moreira, warned Mayan about fulfilling his contractual obligations. How important are relationships between different levels of government in ensuring accountability?
Professor Ana Silva: They’re crucial. Effective communication and cooperation between local councils and municipal governments are essential for proper fund management. Municipalities should establish clear expectations and robust channels for reporting and accountability. When levels of government work together transparently, communities benefit, and resources can be allocated more effectively.
Time.news Editor: Given these events, what do you believe will be the longer-term consequences for the Union of Parishes of Foz, Aldoar, and Nevogilde?
Professor Ana Silva: I think this situation will have a ripple effect. Immediate consequences will include a potential restructuring of the board or increased scrutiny of processes. Long-term, however, it may either catalyze reforms for greater accountability or lead to reduced public trust if not addressed properly. Community engagement in governance might decrease if citizens feel their local leaders are not acting with integrity.
Time.news Editor: That’s an insightful perspective. Before we wrap up, what advice would you give to local governments facing similar governance challenges?
Professor Ana Silva: My advice would be to prioritize transparency and community involvement. Implement open meetings and regular updates on fund usage, and actively solicit feedback from citizens. Empowering the community can enhance trust and cooperation. good governance is built on a foundation of accountability and community trust.
Time.news Editor: Thank you, Professor Silva, for sharing your expertise on this critical issue. We appreciate your insights into the complexities of local governance.
Professor Ana Silva: Thank you for having me. It’s important to discuss these issues so we can work towards better governance together.
Time.news Editor: And thank you to our viewers for joining us. Stay tuned for more engaging discussions on pressing news topics!
