Portugal Justice Minister summoned for urgent hearing over PJ investigation

The Portuguese Parliament has approved an urgent hearing for Justice Minister Rita Alarcão Júdice regarding recent searches conducted by the Public Ministry at the Polícia Judiciária (PJ). The request, submitted by the Chega party, follows searches on September 23 that raised questions regarding the direction and oversight of the judicial police force.

The investigation centers on the Director of the PJ, who is suspected of abuse of power and providing false statements in court. The allegations stem from a complaint to the Procuradoria-Geral da República (PGR) linked to the Football Leaks case. Specifically, it is alleged that the Director gave false testimony regarding whether environmental wiretapping was used during the investigation into hacker Rui Pinto.

The underlying legal proceedings, which were judged in 2023, involved unauthorized access to correspondence involving various entities, including Sporting CP, the Doyen investment fund, the PLMJ law firm, and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).