Hugo Soares says he will talk to MPs involved in the Tutti Frutti case

The parliamentary leader of the PSD, Hugo Soares, said this Wednesday that he does not know the contours of the Tutti Frutti process, in which three deputies are involved, and reserved for a later date his position on whether he retains political confidence in these parliamentarians.

“From what we know, and from what I know at the moment, the lifting of parliamentary immunity from three SDP deputies has now been requested. I don’t know the contours, I don’t know the accusations except through the media. I will have the opportunity to talk to deputies about this,” said Hugo Soares, speaking to reporters in parliament.

The prosecutor’s office requested a waiver of immunity for PSD deputies Luis Newton, Carlos Eduardo Reis and Margarida Saavedra in the context of the Tutti Frutti case, in order to make them accused and collect evidence in accordance with the order of the Central Criminal Instruction. The trial, which was reported on Tuesday evening by CNN Portugal, to which Lusa also had access

According to this document, the deputy believes that Carlos Eduardo Reis faces serious charges of active corruption, malfeasance and abuse of influence. Louis Newton has clear signs of passive corruption and malfeasance, and Margarida Saavedra faces serious charges of qualified fraud.

Asked if he still has confidence in these deputies, Hugo Soares said he will have the opportunity to talk to them and “introduce them to what is public news,” adding that “in due time” he will make decisions.

The parliamentary leader of the SDP stressed that the investigation has been going on for many years and that the deputies have already asked for their own constitution as defendants, “which never happened.”

Asked about the findings of the internal investigation that the PSD President announced last May that it would be open to investigate suspicions raised in connection with the “Operation Tutti Frutti”, Hugo Soares only replied that this question would have to be asked by the President of the Council of National Jurisdiction .

Three Social Democratic deputies took office on March 26 after the last legislative elections, and requests to waive their immunity will now have to be considered by the Commission on Transparency and the Status of Deputies.

Operation Tutti Frutti has been investigating alleged favoritism towards PS and PSD activists through agreements and government contracts since 2018, including suspicions of passive corruption, influence peddling, economic involvement in business and prohibited financing.

Last May, following a TVI/CNN report that reopened the process, PSD President Luis Montenegro announced the launch of an internal investigation to investigate suspicions raised in connection with the “Operation Tutti frutti”, the findings of which were not published. has now been made public.