Former Prime Minister Antonio Costa announced on Tuesday that he had instructed a lawyer to file a request that would allow him to be heard by the courts “as quickly as possible” to “clarify any doubts” and any suspicions.
“I have appointed a lawyer and instructed the lawyer to submit a request today to the Prosecution Coordinator at the Supreme Court so that they can proceed with my hearing as quickly as possible and clarify any doubts they may have about the suspicions. they have. because there is nothing worse than having a suspicion, but it is not clarified,” said António Costa, leaving the inauguration of the government of Luís Montenegro.
Stating that he was “fully prepared to co-operate with justice”, the now-former prime minister reiterated that, as he said when he resigned, “he who is exposed to public suspicion” such as that which existed against him “must preserve the institutions “
Reporters asked António Costa if he still hoped to serve Portugal, starting with the answer that he was “very grateful to the Portuguese” for allowing him to serve the country “for so many years” and for this mission he was very grateful. .
“I want to thank everyone who collaborated with me in government, I want to thank my family, in particular my wife, for all the support they have given me during these years as Prime Minister, previously as Minister, Mayor, Secretary of the Past for many years, and they have done me a great honor, and I am very pleased,” he thanked.
The former director general assured that he is “always ready to serve Portugal”, but considered that “it is also time to clarify suspicions, because there is nothing worse than having suspicions.”
“We always serve Portugal from Europe because Portugal is in Europe,” he responded when asked if he was available for a European position, declining to answer further questions and wishing “good afternoon and best wishes to one and all.”
The work of the previous legislature was interrupted by the resignation of Prime Minister António Costa (PS), after it became known that he was the subject of a judicial investigation launched by the Ministry of State in the Supreme Court under the so-called “Operation Influencer”.
This court case relates to the production of energy from hydrogen in Sines, Setubal, as well as the project to build a data center (Data Center) in the industrial and logistics area of Sines by Start Campus.
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, immediately accepted the resignation of the Prime Minister and two days later announced to the country the dissolution of Parliament and the calling of elections, which took place on March 10, giving the majority to the PSD/SDS. -PP/PPM.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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