Portuguese Ministry of Justice addresses PJ chemical destruction and audit

The Portuguese Ministry of Justice has confirmed a budget of approximately 144,456 euros for the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) to destroy chemicals seized during ‘Operação Pacoba’. The chemicals, consisting of 62 drums containing Ethyl Acetate and Hexane, represent an unprecedented volume of seized products. The Ministry noted that the PJ lacked the specific budget to execute the destruction without compromising normal services, as the expense falls under ‘Other specialized works,’ a category subject to budgetary constraints.

In a related development, the Ministry of Justice expects the conclusions of an audit into the Polícia Judiciária to be delivered by the end of the year. This audit is being conducted by the Inspeção-Geral dos Serviços de Justiça (IGSJ). The investigation follows controversies involving Minister of Internal Administration Luís Neves, including allegations regarding private construction works and the handling of seized assets, such as a trailer containing chemicals that was held by a contractor linked to previous PJ contracts.