The lawyer for Start Campus administrator Rui Oliveira Neves in the lithium and hydrogen case said this Monday that “justice has been done” with the application of the TIR measure to his constituent.
Leaving the Central Criminal Court in Lisbon, Thiago Felix da Costa said that Rui Oliveira Neves’s defense had “always been confident” in the outcome of the interrogation of the defendant, who declared his innocence and whose “strategy was simply to clarify the situation.” and cooperate with authorities.”
“Ruy Oliveira Neves is innocent. Everyone who knows him personally and professionally knew this. The court began to take the first step to confirm this,” the lawyer emphasized, congratulating himself on the fact that the Prosecutor’s Office (MP) itself admitted that “the crime of corruption no strict charge was brought” after the defendant was questioned by Judge Nuno Díaz Costa.
As the judge confirmed the charge against Rui Oliveira Neves not for malfeasance and corruption, but for influence peddling and improper offering of benefits, lawyer Thiago Felix da Costa realized that “in due course” even what remains of the charges brought against the Start Campus Administrator will be properly explained and refuted by the defense. “It’s a long way from now to the trial,” he recalls.
According to the lawyer, the court’s decision against his client was a “victory of justice”, especially since in this case it would have been “always delicate and very delicate” to make a decision similar to the one made by the judge.
Tiago Felix da Costa rejected the idea that the judge’s decision on enforcement measures was “evidence of the incompetence of the government ministry.” However, he said there was an action that he believed was “completely unnecessary”, namely the detention of his client for questioning by a criminal judge.
“I think this trial augurs well for deep reflection on justice,” concluded Thiago Felix da Costa.
In turn, Pedro Duro, lawyer for Star Campus CEO Afonso Salema, admitted that the result of these enforcement measures “does not meet the expectations of the prosecutor’s office.”
However, in response to questions from journalists, he reminded that “the judge does not bother the deputy,” but he will have to give “his assessment” of the evidence.
Pedro Duro refused to comment on the fact that some crimes, such as malfeasance, as well as active and passive corruption, fall under the judge’s evaluation of evidence, but emphasized that “justice must always be a reflection because of the impact it has on families and society”. economy”, remembering that after these days of detention, his client now has the opportunity to return to be with his family.
Five people involved in the case, linked to the lithium, hydrogen and data center business Sines, were given non-custodial sentences today.
The defendant, Diogo Lacerda Machado, a lawyer, consultant and friend of the Prime Minister, was required to post bail in the amount of 150 thousand euros within 15 days and not travel abroad, depositing his passport with the court within 15 days. 24 hours.
Vitor Escaria, former chief of staff to Prime Minister Antonio Costa, was ordered not to travel abroad and must surrender his passport to the court for safekeeping within 24 hours.
Sines City Council President Nuno Mascarenhas and administrators Rui Oliveira Neves and Afonso Salema, both of Start Campus, were subject to the Certificate of Identity and Residence (TIR), the least serious enforcement measure.
Start Campus, the company accused in the case, was required to post bail in the amount of 600 thousand euros within 15 days.
According to a statement from the court, Judge Nuno Diaz Costa found that Diogo Lacerda Machado and Vitor Escaria were “severely charged” with co-authorship and the full form of the crime of influence peddling.
At the same time, the judge understood that Afonso Salema and Rui Oliveira Neves were charged with complicity in the crime of influence peddling and the crime of giving an undue advantage.
In relation to the company Start Campus, the judge understood that it was “seriously charged” with the crime of influence peddling and the crime of giving an undue advantage, the practice of which took place through the administrators Afonso Salem and Rui Oliveira Neves.
The note sent by the court does not mention the accusation of any crime against the chairman of the Sines City Council.
The judge did not confirm the charges of malfeasance, as well as active and passive corruption, of which some of the defendants were accused.
Prime Minister António Costa, who was implicated in this case, was the subject of an investigation initiated by a deputy in the Supreme Court, a situation that led to his resignation, since the President of the Republic called early elections. as of March 10, 2024
There are a total of nine defendants in the case, including the Minister of Infrastructure João Galamba, the President of the Portuguese Environmental Agency Nuno Lacasta, lawyer, former Secretary of State for Justice and former PS representative João Thiago Silveira and company. Launch the campus.
The process is linked to lithium exploration in Montalegre and Boticas (both districts of Vila Real), to the production of energy from hydrogen in Sines, Setúbal, and to the Start Campus project for the construction of a Data Center in the industrial and logistics zone of Sines.
According to the deputy, we are talking about malfeasance, active and passive corruption of political officials and influence trading.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.