The defense of the former CEO of Start Campus demands that the evidence collected by PSP in the case of an influential person be invalidated

The defense of defendant Afonso Salema, former CEO of Start Campus, asked the court to invalidate the evidence collected by PSP in the Influencer case, which could cast doubt on the trial.

According to a request submitted on Tuesday, reported by CNN Portugal and to which Lusa had access, the participation of the Public Security Police (PSP) in an investigation carried out by the Ministry of State (MP) is implied when the law provides for crimes related to the case falling under the exclusive jurisdiction of the judicial police.

“The Judicial Police is the only criminal police authority competent to carry out any actions and investigations related to investigations in which the investigation of crimes” of corruption, abuse of influence and malfeasance is at stake, according to a document supported by the Criminal Code. Law on Organization of Investigations (LOIC).

Thus, the request addressed to the Central Criminal Court (TCIC) states that “a Deputy cannot delegate to the PSP” the practice of investigating crimes falling within the scope of the PJ and recalls that in relation to Afonso Salema: “All evidence collected during investigations were collected by an incompetent criminal police authority.”

The defense understands that since this does not comply with the provisions of the law, the deputy’s act of “delegation of powers is invalid” and also could not be confirmed by the investigating judge when permission to wiretap was required.

In this sense, the defense, led by lawyer Pedro Duro, demands that the “irreparable invalidity of the order holding the Public Security Police responsible for the conduct of any actions and investigations relating to the present investigation and all the evidence presented” be declared null and void. said during the trial that it could affect all accused and suspects, including former Prime Minister António Costa.

The work of the previous legislature was interrupted by the dismissal of António Costa as prime minister after it was revealed that he was the subject of an investigation launched into the parliament by the Supreme Court after a certificate was extracted from a criminal case. Operation Influential Man.

Operation Influential Man at the time led to the arrest of Vitor Escaria (Chief of Staff to António Costa), Diogo Lacerda Machado (consultant and friend of António Costa), Start Campus administrators Afonso Salema and Rui Oliveira Neves, as well as Chamber of Sines President Nuno Mascarenhas, who were released after judicial questioning.

There are other defendants, including former infrastructure minister João Galamba, former Portuguese Environment Agency president Nuno Lacasta, former PS representative João Thiago Silveira and Start Campus.

The case relates to a data center project in the industrial and logistics area of ​​Sines near the Start Campus, the production of energy from hydrogen in Sines and lithium exploration in the Vila Real area, in Montalegre and Botica.