Judge Ema Vasconcelos to take the place of the suspended judge in the EDP case

Judge Ema Vasconcelos is expected to take the place of a deputy judge suspended by the Lisbon Court of Appeal during the EDP trial for marrying a senior member of the Espirito Santo group after the acquittal incident.

As judicial sources explained to Lusa, the legal replacement of Judge Margarida Ramos Natario with Ema Vasconcelos is the result of “pre-established rules”, since the first magistrate occupies the position of judge 9 at the Central Criminal Court of Lisbon, and the second is appointed judge 10, thus filling the vacancy created as a result of suspension.

The same source added that such a replacement would not happen unless Ema Vasconcelos was unable to do so, which has not happened since the Lisbon court’s decision to grant acquittal was announced on Tuesday. The replacement will also require an adjustment to the agenda since the judge is integrated into a different group of judges.

The change of judges should mean a “break” in the trial of former Economy Minister Manuel Pinho, his wife Alexandra Pinho and former banker Ricardo Salgado, which has already held eight hearings. Three of these hearings were held after the presentation of the incident with the acquittal of Margarida Ramos Natario, but the defense pointed out the validity of the actions taken up to that point.

“She is a judge very knowledgeable about her duties, and she will need some time to see the evidence and the process,” one judicial source contacted by Lusa said of Ema Vasconcelos, who, according to the seniority list of judges of the Supreme Council, the Judicial body, has about 18 years of experience in the judge category.

The meeting scheduled for Friday may be declared invalid, with possible cancellation of the appointment, depending on the decision of the chairman of the panel of judges, Ana Paula Rosa. A court source said that as of Thursday morning there had been no ruling in this regard.

The incident with justification was reported by Margarida Ramos Natario on October 23, following the news that she married Antonio Miguel Natario Rio Tinto, who held various positions in various divisions of GES, such as ES TECH Ventures SGPS and Espírito Santo Informática, and that he received €1.2 million through ES Enterprises, considered the blue bag of GES.

“While there is no doubt about the previous decision made by the honorable judge regarding the appropriate impartiality, the current circumstances, if viewed objectively, are likely to give rise to this mistrust in society, indeed, as she herself very well foresaw this, which is why she asked for her excuses , which without the need for further consideration must be satisfied. In view of the above, they agree to grant an acquittal,” the judges said in their decision.

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

The former minister’s wife, Alexandra Pinho, is being tried for money laundering and tax fraud – materially co-authored with her husband – and former BES President Ricardo Salgado is being held liable for active corruption for an unlawful act, active corruption and whitewashing.