The “process of the century” in Portugal: former Prime Minister Jose Socrates gives account for close assets during the mandate, after more than 10 years of delays
Former Prime Minister Jose Socrates, photographed while escorted by police at the courtroom where his trial began, Photo: Filipe Amorim / AFP / Profimedia Images
Former Portuguese Prime Minister José Socrates is tried from Thursday in a trial in which he is accused of corruption, money laundering and tax fraud, AFP and Agerpres report.
More than ten years after the resounding arrest of the former socialist leader, the local press spoke about “a historical day” and “the process of the century”. The hearings will extend for several months, given that only the accusation convened around 200 witnesses.
The trial, judged by the Central Criminal Court of Lisbon, follows after a long investigation, followed by an training procedure marked by dozens of appeals and exceptions raised by the defense of Socrates and of the other suspects accused with him.
“I have struggled for years so that there was no trial, because it is my right,” said Socrates on Thursday, who always declared his innocence.
“It is the state that must prove” the accusations, he said upon arrival at the court.
Former Portuguese prime minister has collected a fortune of over 30 million euros in just a few years
In total, 18 people and three companies of the BTP group are on the bank of the accused in this file regarding the wealth of 34 million euros that Socrates would have collected since 2006, while he was head of government, through a childhood friend who, according to prosecutors, would have acted as his straw man.
Together with him, important business people, such as the former head of the Espirito Santo bank, went bankrupt after discovering accounting irregularities, and two former Portugal Telecom, a company acquired by the Altice Group.
According to the Public Ministry, Socrates would have received money from the Espirito Santo, BTP Lena groups and from the shareholders of a tourist complex.
Socrates, a professional engineer, reached power in 2005 and led Portugal until 2011, when he had to appeal to the EU and the IMF to avoid the bankruptcy of the state, then hit by the debt crisis in the euro area.
Before losing the election in 2011, Socrates negotiated a loan of 78 billion euros accompanied by a severe budget austerity program.
After being arrested in November 2014, the former prime minister spent ten months in provisional detention and a month under house arrest.
