2023-11-16 19:06:31
Antonio Costa, the resigning Prime Minister, has the misfortune of sharing his name in part with his Minister of Economy, Antonio Costa Silva. In a telephone tapping used as evidence against the former head of government caught in a corruption case regarding permits for lithium mines, green hydrogen and the construction of a data center, the two names were been confused.
A huge challenge
The listening concerned a conversation between Lacerda Machado, former advisor to the head of government, and one of the bosses of the company Start Campus. The two men are formally accused along with three other people in the “Influencer” case. In the incriminated conversation, Lacerda Machado promises her interlocutor to intervene with Antonio Costa, not the Prime Minister, but Costa Silva, the Minister of the Economy.
A huge challenge: Start Campus is seeking support from the Portuguese authorities for the creation of a data center in Sines, 170 km south of Lisbon. A project estimated at 3.5 billion euros likely to create thousands of jobs.
The wiretapping would be one of the important pieces that the public prosecutor’s office used in the case involving the ex-prime minister, which is the subject of a parallel investigation, entrusted to the Supreme Court, but which is not accused. The error was recognized by the courts, which refrained from communicating officially on this aspect of the case.
A hard blow for Antonio Costa
The consequences are serious. The “Influencer” file led to the indictment of nine people, five of whom are formally accused. And not the least: the minister of infrastructure, the head of the environment agency, the chief of staff of Prime Minister Costa and his faithful friend Lacerda Machado and finally the mayor of Sines. The head of government declared that he had no other choice but to resign from his functions in order to respect the decision of the courts, in whom he said he placed all his confidence.
This legal imbroglio is a hard blow for Antonio Costa, who was on the verge of breaking a record for political longevity (seven years and eleven months at the head of government) and whose ambition was interrupted in mid-flight. He cannot go back, his resignation having been accepted and legislative elections called for next March. According to several observers, due to the slowness of justice, Costa, who himself declared “not wanting to run for an executive position anytime soon”, will have to wait until 2026 and the presidential election to possibly return to the political race.
Legal embarrassment
In the meantime, it has been learned that the public prosecutor has dropped the allegations of corruption and embezzlement against the five accused in order to release them. Among these, the Minister of Infrastructure, who among other things would have favored companies in lithium mining concessions. He decided to resign, but not without being asked.
The consequence is not lacking in irony: his vacant portfolio now goes to the outgoing Prime Minister. Antonio Costa, still in office for four months, will therefore be responsible for key issues: the privatization of TAP, the airline, the new Lisbon airport, lithium prospecting, green hydrogen and the data center of Sines. The last three cases being those for which justice says “have evidence of his involvement”.
A “deliberate plot?” »
Political analysts are divided on the prosecutors’ approach: why did they mention Costa’s involvement when the file is not public? Why bring up wiretapping that may not have taken place or been poorly transcribed? And finally, why did the investigating judge drop the charges of corruption and embezzlement to free the five accused?
Although no one in Portugal mentions a “deliberate machination”, there are many gray areas. The Attorney General has also decided to consult the judicial authorities to take stock. In the meantime, in the polls, the Socialist Party, which won an absolute majority with 41.3% in the legislative elections two years ago, is now only credited with 30% of the votes.
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