Álvaro Pires, the finance director of Portugal's Polícia Judiciária (PJ), has been removed from his role, according to RTP. The Portuguese broadcaster reports that the decision was taken by the force's national director, Carlos Cabreiro.
RTP published the development on Wednesday, 4 November 2026. Several Portuguese outlets carried the story the same day, including Observador, Correio da Manhã and SAPO, all reporting that the PJ's finance director had been taken off the job.
Notícias ao Minuto linked the removal to a controversy involving Construbarcelos, naming the company in its headline on the case. The source material does not set out the substance of that controversy or state what, if anything, has been alleged against Pires.
RTP's reporting identifies Cabreiro as the official behind the decision but gives no further explanation for it. No reasons for the removal, and no response from Pires, appear in the material available.
The Polícia Judiciária is Portugal's main criminal investigation force. Its finance director oversees the body's budgetary and financial affairs, a position of particular sensitivity given the PJ's role in investigating financial crime.
What to watch next: whether the PJ, the Ministry of Justice or other authorities issue a formal statement explaining the grounds for the removal, and whether Pires responds publicly.
