Operation Marquês Trial Suspended as Lawyer cites Professional Secrecy
Lisbon, Portugal – The 26th session of the high-profile Operation Marquês trial was abruptly suspended Thursday as lawyer and defendant Gonçalo Trindade Ferreira invoked lawyer-client privilege, halting his testimony regarding financial dealings linked to businessman Carlos Santos Silva and former Prime Minister José Sócrates. The unexpected move, not initiated by the defense but by the presiding judge Susana Seca, underscores the sensitive nature of the evidence and potential implications for the ongoing proceedings.
The core of the case revolves around allegations of money laundering and illicit financial activities. Ferreira’s testimony had been detailing his role in transactions involving Santos Silva’s companies, including cash withdrawals, the use of safes, and the purchase of properties connected to Sócrates’ family. Specifically, his statements concerned the acquisition of houses previously owned by Sócrates’ mother and a property in Paris – transactions central to the three money laundering charges against him.
Ferreira had been testifying for approximately two hours when the issue of professional secrecy arose.The court,anticipating potential challenges to the admissibility of his statements,proactively decided to suspend the session to seek guidance from the Bar Association regarding the scope of his obligations as a lawyer and the extent to which his testimony might violate those obligations.
Prior to the suspension, Ferreira recounted a conversation with Santos Silva regarding the need for readily available funds, stating, “He told me to keep some money in the safes in case there was any urgent need with one of the companies,” Ferreira recounted. He also noted that Santos Silva had a preference for handling cash, stating, “I still like to carry cash today. It’s the world of construction.”
ferreira further revealed that prosecutors Carlos Alexandre and Rosário Teixeira had requested he withdraw the funds from the safe and deposit them into his personal,mortgage-laden account. He questioned why a court account wasn’t used, noting his account was subsequently blocked.
Beyond the safes, Ferreira detailed his involvement in numerous cash withdrawals from checks signed by santos Silva. He stated he delivered the funds to individuals designated by the businessman, including Inês do Rosário, Rui Mão de Ferro, and even João Perna, Sócrates’ former driver, with typical withdrawals amounting to €10,000. He emphasized that the purpose of these deliveries was direct payment, not safekeeping, and that he never received any compensation for his services.
Ferreira’s testimony also touched upon a single meeting with former Prime Minister Sócrates in Paris in November 2014, the day before both he and Santos Silva were detained upon their return to Lisbon. He described the lunch as a casual encounter arranged by Santos Silva, stating, “I only remember once when engineer Carlos Santos Silva said that we were going to have lunch with a friend of his… The friend? It was José Sócrates.”
Describing his role in the complex financial network, Ferreira positioned himself as a facilitator, lacking knowledge of the underlying motivations. “I don’t know the origin of the money. I limited myself to doing the deeds for the houses,” he asserted. He also admitted to being involved in the large-scale purchase of copies of José Sócrates’ book, Confiança no Mundo – Sobre a Tortura em Democracia, in October 2013, at the request of Santos Silva, even borrowing bookstore discount cards to maximize the purchase volume.”My reasoning was that Carlos Santos Silva has a sympathy for a certain political color and, when I was asked to buy books, it would be to offer to activists and friends,” he explained.
Ferreira opened his testimony by expressing regret over his involvement in Operation Marquês and the significant impact the investigation has had on his personal and professional life since his arrest at Lisbon airport nearly 11 years ago. He detailed the disruptive arrest, the ransacking of his office, and the subsequent professional and personal setbacks, including a divorce. He traced his connection to Santos Silva back to 2010 through a shared business associate, his cousin Armando Trindade.
The suspension of Ferreira’s testimony introduces a significant uncertainty into the trial’s timeline and raises questions about the extent to which his statements will be admissible as evidence. The Bar Association’s ruling on the matter of professional secrecy will be crucial in determining the future course of the proceedings.
