Portugal's Judicial Police detain Aveiro health unit director in corruption probe

Three arrests in Aveiro

The Polícia Judiciária announced on Tuesday, 10 November, that it had detained three men aged 44, 47 and 51 in an investigation run by the Public Prosecutor's Office through the DIAP in Coimbra. They are suspected of passive and active corruption, economic participation in business, abuse of power and influence peddling. One of the suspects is Ricardo Correia de Matos, director of the Aveiro Local Health Unit (ULS de Aveiro), whose detention Notícias ao Minuto dates to Monday, 9 November. The three men are Portuguese citizens with no criminal records and are due before a judge at the Coimbra Judicial Court for a first hearing, where coercive measures could be imposed. The operation is named Batas & Betão.

Searches and seizures

Investigators carried out five home searches, eight searches of non-residential premises, one search of a law office and two searches of health establishments, in the Lisbon region, Vila Nova de Gaia, Aveiro and Águeda. Around 80 PJ officers took part, including inspectors and financial and IT experts, supported by the National Anti-Corruption Unit (UNCC) and technology and financial expertise units from the north and centre. Four judges and four prosecutors were also present during the operation. Investigators secured a property, seized 15,000 euros in cash and 15,000 US dollars held in cryptocurrency, and collected documents they consider relevant to the case.

Domiciliary searches5

Non-domiciliary searches8

Law office search1

Health establishment searches2

Domiciliary searches

5 searches

Non-domiciliary searches

8 searches

Law office search

1 searches

Health establishment searches

2 searches

Data from the article text

The alleged scheme

CNN Portugal, as cited by Observador and Notícias ao Minuto, says the alleged scheme dates back to at least 2020, when the director allegedly set out to steer public contracts toward two friends, a businessman and an engineer. He allegedly used posts he held at the Central regional section of the Nursing Order, the Águeda delegation of the Portuguese Red Cross and the neurointervention complex of the Red Cross in Vila Nova de Gaia. In return, prosecutors reportedly believe, he received construction work on a family house at Praia da Barra, which SIC places in Aveiro and Notícias ao Minuto places in Ílhavo. One example cited is a job awarded for 14,000 euros that was reportedly subcontracted for only 4,550 euros. Notícias ao Minuto also reports that a roof replacement tender was allegedly rigged through a front company set up to look like a rival bidder.

Questions about the appointment

Authorities also suspect irregularities in the selection of the director for the Aveiro unit. According to CNN Portugal, he was allegedly told in advance, by a lawyer he knew, the questions the selection jury would ask before his interview with the public administration recruitment commission (CRESAP) in March 2026. After taking office, he allegedly made two direct awards worth about 100,000 euros to that lawyer's office in July 2026, according to the outlets reporting the case. The timeline below sets out the dates reported so far.

The three suspects have not been tried, and the court hearing in Coimbra will decide on any coercive measures. The inquiry remains under the direction of the Public Prosecutor's Office.