For the third time, the judge’s verdict in the Golden Visa corruption trial has been delayed, this time until December 21st.
The reason each time has been, “a lack of time to take a decision.”
Defendants include the former Minister, Miguel Macedo, (pictured) who resigned over revelations that the Golden Visa system had been abused by those charged with running it as well as third parties.
The presiding judge first pushed the reading of the ruling to May 2019, claiming there had been a lack of time in which to produce a ruling. He now has stepped down but set the December date for the conclusion of the trial which started in February 2017.
Miguel Macedo, the former Minister of Internal Affairs in the Pedro Passos Coelho government did what at first was seen as the honourable thing by resigning. He was arrested shortly after leaving office and made one of the formal suspects in Operation Labyrinth.
Other defendants include António Figueiredo, the former president of the Registry and Notary Office, and the former director of the Aliens and Borders Service.
Figueiredo, said in court that was "just trying to help Chinese friends" with their Golden Visa applications and hadn’t made any money out of it.
Accused of crimes of passive corruption for unlawful acts, undue receipt of advantage, trafficking of influence and prevarication, António Figueiredo decided to make a full statement in court to try and show that "there was no criminal intent" on his part.
There are 21 people keen to know whether they have been found guilty of crimes in a trial that showed many of those paid by the State to provide a public service, in fact engaged in self-service and a range of criminal acts.
