Corruption Scandal in Portugal: Following Prime Minister's Resignation, Prosecution Admits Error
Portugal's Public Prosecutor's Office mistakenly misinterpreted wiretapped recordings that implicated the Prime Minister in a corruption scandal, according to Portuguese publication Carta Capital.
The prosecutor's office confused the name of the dismissed Prime Minister António Costa with the name of the Minister of Economy António Costa Silva in the decrypted text of the "Operation Influencer" wiretapping.
An attorney for one of the accused in the corruption case reported that the error was identified during questioning, and prosecutors acknowledged their mistake.
The text reads, "This is excellent. I will decrypt whether this is about economics or finances. If it is about finances, I will talk to Medina (the minister) or António Mendes, who is the Secretary of State. If it is about economics, I will find a way to reach António Costa himself."
Notes in the wiretaps referred to "António Costa," initially attributed to the Prime Minister. However, analysing the context of the conversation revealed that António Costa Silva, the Minister of Economy, was mentioned in the dialogue. According to CNN Portugal, the prosecution admitted the error during the questioning of Diogo Lacerda Machado in the Lisbon Criminal Court.
The wiretap in question records a dialogue between Salem and Lacerda Machado regarding influencing the government to address issues related to the establishment of data processing centres. The incorrect interpretation resulted from a shortened transcription made by the Ministry of Justice in an accompanying note, which was appended to the accusatory conclusion.
António Costa, who led Portugal since 2015, resigned last Tuesday following a high-profile corruption investigation into the involvement of his chief of staff and one of his ministers. Local media reports that Portugal's government plunged into chaos after the unexpected resignation of Prime Minister António Costa on Tuesday, just hours after the police conducted a search at his official residence and confirmed his involvement in the corruption investigation.
As the country undergoes a change in leadership, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa may exercise his constitutional right to appoint a new prime minister or dissolve the parliament, leading to snap elections. The Office of the Attorney General or the Supreme Court has not issued public comments yet.