Two computer experts working on the Citius computer system that failed to launch on September 1st had been under investigation by the Judicial Police cybercrime unit for 'acts of sabotage' claimed by the Justice Minister, but now the investigation is into the lesser charge of 'concealing information' - information that they were willing to hand over but instead were asked to clear their desks.
The dramatic 'sabotage' claims were designed to create a legitimate reson for Minister Paula Teixeira da Cruz's failure to launch the Citius computer project on time, in fact it was six weeks late in starting and caused the country's court system to grind to a halt.
The lesser charge of 'concealing information' may come back to bite da Cruz in her gowns as she continues to ignore calls for her resignation over the Citius computer fiasco that saw the country's court system stop as it waited for the new software to splutter into life.
The Attorney General's Office was investigating claims by the Minister over a an act of sabotage at the Citius IT platform but the two being questioned were the very technicians that were fired and whose offer of a pre-exit handover period were ignored.
The report submitted by Paula Teixeira da Cruz to the Attorney General's Office claimed the system had been sabotaged by the two computer technicians who had worked on software development for two years within the Institute of Integrated Financial Management and Equipment of Justice (IGFEJ).
Now the cybercrime department of the Judicial Police are investigating the two suspects to see if they concealed key access information from management and from those responsible for managing the information systems that magistrates and lawyers should have been able to use.
The experts claim that they had offered to organise a hand over period to explain the workings of the system and divulge key operting and access codes but this was not taken up by management.
A source from within the Justice Ministry revealed that the police had been looking at activities in the seven days preceding the launch of the computerisation of the judicial system, a launch that failed to take off leading to chaos and recrimination, but concluded that the fired experts had not sabotaged the system but had offered to hand over technical know how and access codes but were asked to clear their desks and leave rather than explain what they had been doing for two years.
Six weeks later the Minister announced that everything was now working which, apart from in a few isolated courts, is now closer to the truth than she has managed to date and it is hoped that sufficient resources now will be allocated to the inputting of the backlog of data to enable the judicial system to become one of deft efficiency and speed.
Teixeira da Cruz has misled parliamant and the public throughout the launch period, did not have a grasp on events and progress and seems to be as keen as ever to blame everyone but herself. Cries of 'sabotage' will not help her image or her career opportunities.
Even the Prime Minister was obliged to apologise on his Minister's behalf as she continues to belive her own utterances and political immortality.
Comments
It is common sense - to protect both parties. The employer and ex-employee.
Long gone, certainly in the UK - are the days when on a computer screen would be something like :
'If you are reading this then Ellis 'The White Knight' Jones is no longer working for XYZ Transport and Removals. I can remove this computer problem if you bring XXXX pounds sterling (not weight) to my mums - 27 Acacia Avenue. Phone 987654321 first to check I'm in'
Surprise, surprise this sort of thing died out years ago !
Maybe not yet here in Portugal though !
offered to hand over technical know how and access codes ...
It is standard practice for computer techies to brief those staff taking over after them and would be written into their contract.
Having this hullabaloo .... confirms that the the collapse of Citius was planned and implemented at a very high level to 'clean' the Portuguese legal system of embarassments. ie lose or alter important documents relevant to important people and cases.
In the Citius chaos of the last few months - some very clever techies will have been roaming round doing their business.
Such as it is in these absurd backward EU countries - even 'sacked computer techies' have their reputation. Not just elite politicians, business owners and landowners - and such other scoundrels.
So it is vital now that these techies sue for damages. Showing us all that the breach of contract was not their doing ... and that they had intended to help !!!