José Sócrates is free, but just for the afternoon as he was taken to Lisbon from his cell in Évora prison to be questioned by prosecutor Rosário Teixeira for the second time since his arrest last November.
It’s lonely in prison for the former socialist prime minster as his friend, the co-accused Carlos Santos Silva was allowed home last week and is under video surveillance to make sure he doesn’t try anything sneaky.
Both are suspected of corruption, tax fraud and money laundering.
The prosecution believes that Sócrates received money from the Lena Group in return for awarding it lucrative construction work when he was in power.
Around €23 million passed through bank accounts controlled by Lena Group’s Carlos Santos Silva and the prosecution is working on its case to prove that this money was that of the former PM, not just loans and gifts from his friend Carlos Santos Silva as is claimed.
The other defendants in the case are Joaquim Baroque, the vice president of the Lena Group, João Perna, Sócrates’ driver, Lalanda de Castro, Inês Pontes do Rosário, the wife of Carlos Santos Silva and the lawyer Gonçalo Ferreira.
Those calling for the release of the former PM include another ex-prime minister and political war horse Mário Soares who contends that there is no reason to hold Sócrates in prison as he has not been accused of any crime.
The prosecution is insistent that Sócrates would present a risk to its case should he be let out on home arrest and so far has managed to present arguments sufficently compelling for him to remain in Évora prison.
