Judge in EDP case asks for acquittal

One of the judges sentencing Manuel Pinho will ask the Lisbon court to assess whether she can continue with the EDP trial.

The judge’s ex-husband received another million euros through the so-called GES blue bag. Lawyers for Pinho and his wife asked Margarida Ramos Natario to assess their impartiality. In this regard, the judge announced this Monday that she will raise the issue of acquittal – this will be assessed by the Public Relations Department.

The Judge believes that her impartiality has not been affected, but given the news that has become public, the decision must be made by the Court. “Nothing has changed, but I really respect the role of the judge, and then let everything be decided,” said Margarida Ramos Natario.

Lawyers Ricardo Sa Fernandez and Manuel Magalhães e Silva, who represent Manuel Pinho and Alexandra Pinho respectively, also assured that other payments were made to the judge’s ex-husband through Banque Privée by other companies belonging to the Espirito Santo Group (GES). although they reject any value judgments about the behavior of Antonio Miguel Natario Rio Tinto.

“The problem boils down to the risk of suspicion, on the basis of the facts in question, of the objectively assessed impartiality of Dr. Margarida Ramos Natario, dictated by circumstances that the honorable judge may not yet have realized, but which is likely to raise this doubt to an external observer, which is reasonable in the light of the criterion of transparency and impartiality, which the community of citizens – the people – has the right to see respected,” they emphasized.

The defense also cited the judge’s statements in the context of another court case in which Margarida Ramos Natario testified that they divorced in August 2014 but continued to live in a de facto union and that the divorce occurred as a “precautionary measure” and to “protect the children “, so they “divided the assets” in view of the situation that was happening in BES at that time, with the collapse of the bank.

This case came to light last Thursday to the SIC and the newspaper Público, which reported that Margarida Ramos Natario was married for several years to Antonio Miguel Natario Rio Tinto, currently working in Dubai, but in the past held various positions in various GES organizations . such as ES TECH Ventures SGPS and Espírito Santo Informática, becoming administrator of Novo Banco in 2014.

When asked about the situation, the Superior Council of Magistracy then clarified that the judge “did not ask to withdraw from the process” and that she considered that “there are no obstacles” to the decision, which was supported by the presiding judge of the Lisbon District, Arthur Lamb.

The EDP trial will continue this Monday with the sixth session of the Central Criminal Court of Lisbon, where statements are expected from the wife of former Economy Minister Alexandra Pinho.

Manuel Pinho, under house arrest since December 2021, is accused of passive corruption for unlawful acts, passive corruption, money laundering and tax fraud.

His wife Alexandra Pinho is on trial on charges of money laundering and tax fraud (jointly with her husband), while former BES President Ricardo Salgado is charged with active corruption for an unlawful act, active corruption and money. laundering.