António Guterres, former prime minister of Portugal, and Fernando Gomes, a former mayor of Oporto, today dropped in on José Sócrates, detained in Évora jail.
Gueterres told reporters, "I found him very well."
The honorary president of the Socialist Party, Almeida Santos said today that he believes in the innocence of José Sócrates, whom he visited this afternoon in Évora jail and that the former prime minister "has been held without being charged" or "convicted of anything."
"I have a great admiration for him and the truth is that he is stuck there without being accused of anything, "therefore, as he has not been convicted by a court, I believe in his innocence," added Santos.
The prosecutor in the Sócrates tax fraud and money laundering case has admitted that she is waiting for the Swiss bank accounts statements of businessman Carlos Santos Silva, the former PM’s friend and co-accused.
The Swiss authorities formally have been asked to supply these bank records as Sócrates and Santos sit in jail to prevent them meddling in the investigation.
The prime minister turned up for a planned interview on RTP today and was faced with a barrage of questions about the increasing mountain of sleaze and corruption that has grown unabated during his administration.
Passos Coelho said that nobody is above the law, that he is not going to nationalise Portugal Telecom and that the governor of the Bank of Portugal is "very brave."
In his first statement since his arrest and subsequent detention, former Portuguse prime minister José Sócrates has said that he has been deliberately humiliated and that the allegations against him are absurd.
"I have no doubt that this case also has political overtones," reads a letter issued via his lawyer, João Araújo.
The multinational pharmaceutical company Octapharma has terminated its €12,000 pcm contract with former prime minister José Sócrates who is currently detained in Evora prison as a result of enquiries into money laundering, corruption and qualified tax fraud.
Octapharma said in a statement that "regarding the latest developments the conditions are not being met to maintain collaboration with José Sócrates."
According to Correio da Manhã today, in 2010 José Sócrates repatriated €25 million from UBS, through an account held by his friend Carlos Santos Silva.
Due to rumours of problems at the Espírito Santo Group, Sócrates decided in late 2013 to split this money and deposit it in six other banks: CGD, BCP, BPI, Deutsche Bank, Barclays and Montepio. This is what tripped him up.
Just as José Sócrates is admitted to Évora prison, the director of the Foreigners and Border Service, Manuel Jarmela Palos has been released from the same prison to await trial under house arrest and must wear an electronic bracelet.
A source from the Ministry of Justice said today that Maria Antónia Anes, former Secretary-general of the Ministry of Justice, and businessman Jaime Gomes soon will be released to home arrest where they too will be monitored by electronic bracelets.
