Cape Verde PM Francisco Carvalho Charged with 26 Crimes
In a legal bombshell rocking Cape Verde, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has formally charged Prime Minister Francisco Carvalho with 26 crimes. The charges stem from his tenure as the Mayor of Praia, a position he held from 2020 until earlier this year.
According to an indictment accessed by the news agency Lusa, the extensive list of charges includes five counts of falsifying public documents and five counts of abuse of power. The Prime Minister also faces three counts of embezzlement, three counts of receiving undue advantage, and three counts of violating budgetary execution rules.
The legal onslaught doesn’t end there. Prosecutors have also cited Carvalho for crimes against the Rule of Law, passive corruption, qualified fraud, violation of urban planning rules, and defrauding public property interests.
Councilors Also Named in Broad Indictment
The Prime Minister is not standing alone in the dock. Three former councilors who served under him—Kyrha Varela, Jorge Garcia, and Fernando Pinto (who succeeded Carvalho as Mayor)—have also been charged as co-authors or accomplices. Because the alleged crimes occurred while they held local office, all four will be tried before the Sotavento Court of Appeal.
The investigation extends further into the private sector, naming nine additional defendants, including two construction firms. These parties will be prosecuted in a separate indictment to be heard in a court of first instance.
Beyond potential prison time, the prosecution is seeking civil financial restitution. The state is demanding 40.9 million escudos (€370,000) from Carvalho and his councilors for damages to the municipality and the national treasury.
Alleged “Neutralization” of Oversight
The prosecution’s narrative suggests a systemic dismantling of checks and balances. Investigators allege that in 2021, after a political rift with his executive team made it difficult to secure approvals, Carvalho illegally restructured the municipal government. By concentrating portfolios like finance, legal affairs, and human resources under his direct control, he allegedly “neutralized internal oversight,” paving the way for the illegal acts described in the indictment.
Specific allegations include the forgery of a joint order involving the president of the Court of Auditors—a document the official claims he never signed—and irregular land transfers. One high-profile case involves the 2025 transfer of land at the “Complexo Babilónia” to settle a €2 million debt with an engineering firm. Prosecutors say Carvalho knew this land had already been deeded to the State before he took office.
A “Politicized” Investigation?
Prime Minister Carvalho has consistently maintained his innocence, framing the investigation as a partisan attack. Following searches of Praia City Hall in December 2025, he accused the nation’s justice system of being “politicized.”
However, Attorney General Luís Landim has stood firm against these claims. “Everyone is subject to the law,” Landim stated previously, “regardless of who they are or what office they hold.”
At the time of reporting, the Prime Minister’s office and his party, the PAICV, have not issued a formal response to the latest charges.
Image: Pexels – KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA
