An investigation against Prime Minister António Costa was opened at the Supreme Court (STJ) on October 17, the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGR) said on Friday, following an operation in the lithium, hydrogen and “data centers” business. .
“Such initiation, to which the prosecutor’s office is legally obligated whenever it receives news of the possible commission of criminal facts, dates back to October 17, 2023, which was the result, in the circumstances, of the assignment by the Code of Criminal Procedure to the Forum of a special Prime Minister,” one can read in the explanation sent to the media.
The Ministry of State (deputy) believes that the Prime Minister interfered in the approval of the diploma, beneficial to the interests of the Start Campus company, which is responsible for the data center.
The investigation led to the arrest of five people – the chief of staff of the Prime Minister Vitor Escaria, the mayor of Sines Nuno Mascarenhas, two administrators of the Start Campus society Afonso Salem and Rui Oliveira Neves, as well as lawyer Diogo Lacerda Machado. friend of António Costa – and the constitution of four other accused: lawyer João Thiago Silveira, Minister of Infrastructure João Galamba, President of the Portuguese Environmental Agency Nuno Lacasta and the company Start Campus.
According to a note published this Friday, the PGR emphasizes that the two investigations – the investigation by the STJ prosecutor’s office against António Costa and the investigation by the Central Department of Investigations and Criminal Cases (DCIAP) – require a clearly defined investigation due to the linking facts of the two cases.
In the same clarification, the Office of the Attorney General, headed by Lucília Gago, states that “the investigations will continue with the necessary care and speed, aiming to close them as quickly as possible,” despite an “exhaustive analysis” of the evidence collected. .
This is the second official information from the PGR on the case after it issued a statement on Tuesday, the last paragraph of which stated that Antonio Costa is the subject of an investigation carried out by the Ministry of State (MP) in the Supreme Court.
In the investigation of the case of lithium, green hydrogen and Sines data centers, according to the deputy, we can talk about crimes related to malfeasance, active and passive corruption of political officials and influence trading.
Portugal will hold early legislative elections on March 10, 2024, scheduled by the President of the Republic, following the resignation of the Prime Minister on Tuesday.