The board of the Local Health Unit in Aveiro says it will remain in office after the detention of its former president over alleged corruption. The other members of the ULS Aveiro administration, which includes the clinical director, the primary care clinical director, the finance member, and the nursing director, said they are aware of their duty of institutional loyalty. In a statement sent to Lusa this Friday, they reiterated principles of integrity, rigour and dedication to public service. The board said its current mandate has been carried out with respect for the law, and with a management approach they describe as rigorous, transparent and efficient in defending the institution and citizens. It also addressed the procedures connected to a legal advisory firm hired in August, when the former president was in charge. The board said the contracting followed the mechanisms set out in the Public Contracts Code. A Portuguese public procurement portal shows the ULS, then led by the former president, used two direct awards for legal advice to the firm, for 60,000 euros and 39,000 euros. The board said the contracts were justified by specific needs for specialised legal advisory and court representation related to a legal process involving the signing of an architecture project contract for the outpatient clinic building. The former president was detained by the Police Judiciaire on Monday on suspicion of corruption and was dismissed the next day by the health minister, who announced that a new management team would be selected. Along with the former president, a businessman and an engineer were also detained, accused of receiving contracts and handing over works in exchange for economic advantages, including a house construction on the Barra beach in Ílhavo. The judicial interview with the former president resumed this Friday at the Tribunal of Coimbra after being suspended the previous day. The board says it will continue its roles to ensure ongoing healthcare delivery and institutional representation.