Luís Neves Odemira works: CNN Portugal shows pool built without licence

The controversy surrounding building work at the local accommodation owned by the Minister for Internal Administration, Luís Neves, in Odemira is far from over. On Monday, CNN Portugal broadcast images of a pool built on the minister’s property, after he had insisted it was merely a tank. Odemira Municipal Council says it has received no application for planning permission, despite the fact that authorisation is required.

CNN Portugal images and the missing planning permission

What Luís Neves described as a “tank” appears, in the footage shown by CNN Portugal, to be a swimming pool built without the necessary permission. In a reply sent to CNN Portugal, the council states: “With regard to the request submitted, it was not possible to find any licensing/works notification file for the search details provided.” The local authority classifies the project as “development works”, which means council approval is needed.

Works at Luís Neves’s Odemira property and the contractor involved

The works in question were carried out by contractor João Carvalho, from Construbarcelos, at Luís Neves’s local accommodation on a rural property in São Teotónio. The builder is known to the minister from Neves’s time at the Judicial Police (PJ) and went on to win public contracts worth around two million euros with that institution.

After establishing what is described as a relationship of friendship and trust, Luís Neves invited the contractor to share some “opinions” about the Odemira property. In practice, the builder ultimately also took on the job.

Minister’s explanation: “three walls”, costs and invoices

In an interview with the same television channel on Sunday, the minister argued that “the building does not have a metre more” and, for that reason, he did not consider it necessary to move immediately to obtain the relevant permission. He added: “The works are three walls and a bathroom with seven square metres, a porch and a tank. That is what we are talking about.”

In that interview, Luís Neves also said that more than 70% of the contractor’s agreements with the PJ were signed during a period when he was not yet leading the police force. As for the budget, he stated that the final cost should be between 20,000 and 30,000 euros. However, since the work is not yet finished, the minister says he has been advancing small amounts of around 5,000 euros “for small expenses and for working capital”. He refused to publish the invoices, but assured viewers they are all recorded in the electronic invoicing system and declared to the tax authorities.