Former Liberal Presidential candidate resigns following forgery scandal
Tiago Mayan was Presidency of the Foz parish council in Porto and he has running for the leadership of the Liberal Initiative (IL).
Tiago Mayan, the chairman of the Foz, Aldoar, and Nevogilde parish council in Porto, has resigned after being caught forging signatures on official council documents to secure municipal funding for local associations.
The fallout has led Mayan to withdraw from running for the leadership of the Liberal Initiative (IL) at the party’s upcoming elective convention in early 2025.
Forgery Scandal Revealed
The scandal revolves around the submission of false signatures to obtain city funds meant for community projects.
Mayan missed the deadlines for applying to the Support Fund for Associations and the Collaborative Budget, both managed by the Porto council.
To bypass the missed deadlines, he forged signatures on documents, a move that has since sparked public and political backlash.
In a statement to the Lusa news agency, Mayan, 47, acknowledged his actions but denied any personal financial gain, claiming his intent was to prevent local associations from losing crucial funding.
“The events that led to my resignation were in no way for my personal benefit. I have never, in any way, appropriated any funds. My aim was to ensure that the associations benefiting from these funds were not jeopardised due to procedural flaws,” he stated.
Admission of Guilt and Disciplinary Action
The forged signatures came to light during a private council meeting. Meeting minutes obtained by Lusa revealed that a document dated 16 September, supposedly signed by the jury of the Porto Associations Support Fund, was in fact falsified.
When confronted, Mayan admitted to drafting the minutes himself and forging the signatures.
Mayan’s actions were reportedly an attempt to bypass the municipality’s deadlines, ensuring access to funding worth up to €120,000 per parish, out of a total €875,000 allocated to the program.
According to sources, Porto’s mayor, Rui Moreira, had previously warned Mayan about the risk of missing out on these funds if contractual obligations were not met.
Political Fallout
The revelations have led to severe political consequences.
Rui Rocha, the current leader of the Liberal Initiative, announced that the party has launched disciplinary proceedings against Mayan, which could result in his expulsion.
Rocha condemned the forgery, distancing the party from the scandal.
In a letter to Lusa, Mayan expressed regret and announced his temporary withdrawal from political activities. Despite his resignation and withdrawal from the IL leadership race, he remains a grassroots member of the party. “I deeply regret what happened,” he concluded.
A Tarnished Political Career
Mayan’s fall from grace marks a sharp reversal for the politician who had been a prominent figure in the 2021 Presidential race and a key member of the independent movement “Rui Moreira: Aqui Há Porto”, which secured 36.92% of the vote in the parish elections.
Supported by the Liberal Initiative, CDS, Nós Cidadãos, and MAIS, Mayan’s election had once symbolized a broad coalition of centrist and liberal forces in Porto.
As the investigation and disciplinary processes unfold, the scandal has cast a shadow over the parish council and raised broader questions about accountability and governance in local politics.
The repercussions are likely to be felt across the Liberal Initiative and other political allies who had backed Mayan’s candidacy.