José Sócrates criticizes new Operação Marquês money laundering trial

A new trial regarding money laundering allegations related to 'Operação Marquês' has commenced in Lisbon. Former Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates has criticized the proceedings, describing the new trial as 'the same absurdity' because it involves facts already being debated in a separate ongoing corruption trial.

The prosecution alleges that between 2011 and 2014, defendants used bank accounts controlled by businessman Carlos Santos Silva, his wife, and Sócrates’ driver to funnel illicit funds to the former Prime Minister. The Public Ministry claims these funds were part of corruption schemes involving Grupo Lena, Grupo Espírito Santo, and the Vale do Lobo luxury development.

Sócrates argued that the court must examine the same underlying corruption facts to judge the money laundering charges, leading to a duplication of costs, evidence, and public exposure. He characterized the situation as 'judicial state violence' occurring thirteen years after the process began.