Operation Marquês trial "will drag on for several years"

The ‘instruction phase’ of the complex and far-reaching Operation Marquês will begin in January 2019.

This phase is a form of pre-trial and the judge will have to assess whether the evidence against the defendants is sufficient to put them on trial.

Ivo Rosa has been selected as the judge in this phase which has as a star defendant the former Prime Minister, José Sócrates.

The Operation Marquês investigation culminated in the indictment of a 28 defendants - 19 people and nine companies - accusing them of almost two hundred crimes.

José Sócrates, who was held in custody for 10 months, later released under house arrest, is charged with three counts of political corruption, 16 of money laundering, nine counts of falsifying documents and three counts of qualified tax fraud.

The indictment alleges that Sócrates received approximately €34 million between 2006 and 2015, in exchange for favours in the financial interests of Ricardo Salgado, the former head of the Espírito Santo Group and major shareholder in Portugal Telecom.

Sócrates also is accused of guaranteeing the granting of a Caixa General of Depósitos loan in favour of the Vale do Lobo development in the Algarve, and favoring the Lena Group businesses, run by a childhood friend.

The predicted pace of this trial is not impressive, with only three sessions per month booked as from January 2019, meaning this stage alone is expected to drag on for several years as the defendants have called 44 witnesses.

Comments  

0 #6 Peter Booker 2018-10-29 08:28

Well done, Ed, for juxtaposing this story and that about the Olhão sewage plant. In fact, that sewage plant would be a good place to hold this trial.

-2 #5 Dierdre 2018-10-29 06:08

In a country like Portugal with rampant corruption at all levels; how can someone witness to non-corruption?
"Yes, your Illustrious Worshipful Honour, my firm got several million to change a few radiators in Ministry Buildings but I still have no idea how the mother of Jose Socrates had got her new apartment using my money. I have never met her but had contributed substantially to Jose's Uncle who assured me my donation would go to establishing the Socrates Family Orphanage Trust."

+1 #4 nogin the nog 2018-10-28 18:01

hmm
I am not convinced there will ever be a trial. The new judge will pull the case apart, if any of the facts gained were from anything other than official means..

-1 #3 Hamilton 2018-10-28 09:23

44 witnesses for the 19 people and nine companies. As everything in Portugal is back to front so these witnesses must themselves be under some sort of amnesty from being prosecuted themselves. How many having this immunity due to their profession i.e. lawyers and accountants (I was only following orders, m'lud) and how many due to their birthright - born into a Chaibol clan?

+5 #2 Mike Williams 2018-10-27 09:37

Who is leading the charge against populism if not the ex-fascist states and in particular the Greco-Romans? Note how Poland is being slammed for wanting to clear out its Commie era judges and Hungary is questioning the experience of its anti-corruption prosecutors - seen as indicative of populism.
Someone 'should' have been doing 10 years or so ago in Portugal; appealing for anti-corruption prosecutors and investigators - then asking the obvious question "So where else did you get this anti-corruption investigating experience because it cannot have been here in Portugal?"

+6 #1 Hamilton 2018-10-27 07:43

As so often said here on ADN and proved in the unending complaints on the expat websites: Portugal has still not evolved sufficiently since its period of dictatorship to meet the basic criteria of European Union membership - having a functioning regulatory system. Legal - the lawyers, judicial - the judges and policing and the Portuguese decision making
elite are all intentionally just as Salazar left them. Facing towards each other; not towards the people.

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