The Lisbon Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) and the defense of José Sócrates and Carlos Santos Silva and overturned Judge Ivo Rosa’s decision regarding the statements of the former prime minister and his friend during Operation Marques. In other words, six crimes related to forgery and money laundering for which the two are facing trial in 2021.
By Ivo Rosa’s decision, Carlos Santos Silva was transformed from a figurehead into a corrupt Socrates. The judge realized that the “owner” of the money was actually a friend of the former prime minister. He also believed that the crime of corruption was already provided for and therefore he should only be tried for forgery of documents and money laundering. In the ruling, the appellate judges decide to return the case to the criminal court to make a new investigative decision on the specified facts.
In 2021, Judge Ivo Rosa threw out most of the crimes against the 28 defendants in Operation Marquez. In January this year, the court overturned Ivo Rosa’s decision not to bring charges, ruling that Socrates and the other defendants would face trial for almost all of the crimes included in the indictment, including corruption. This is another defeat for Judge Ivo Rosa in the Marquis case.