# Portuguese political controversy over Operação Pacoba

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/portuguese-political-controversy-over-operao-pacoba
> Updated: 2026-09-09T10:19:57.000Z. Sources: 15. Developments: 2.

The Portuguese Ministry of Justice confirmed a budget of approximately 144,456 euros for the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) to destroy 62 drums of Ethyl Acetate and Hexane seized during ‘Operação Pacoba’. The Ministry noted that the PJ lacked the specific budget to execute this destruction under ‘Other specialized works’ without affecting normal services.

Simultaneously, the Inspeção-Geral dos Serviços de Justiça (IGSJ) is conducting an audit of the PJ, with conclusions expected by the end of the year. This follows controversies involving Minister of Internal Administration Luís Neves regarding the handling of seized assets.

The situation escalated into a political dispute when the Chega party requested an urgent parliamentary hearing with the PJ director to address discrepancies regarding the costs and handling of the chemical waste. During proceedings, Minister of Justice Rita Alarcão Júdice denied allegations of dishonesty, clarifying that the information regarding disposal costs was provided by the PJ. She stated that the official budget from the company Ambimed totaled 177,444 euros including VAT, a figure that differs from previous statements regarding the operation’s scope and cost.

Chega leader André Ventura has accused the Minister of Justice of lying to Parliament to protect Minister Neves. Ventura suggested that either the PJ is withholding information or the Ministry of Justice is attempting to cover up misconduct related to the management of the seized materials.

## Claims

- The Minister of Justice denied that any lies were told regarding the costs of chemical destruction. (disputed by 4 sources)
- André Ventura accused the Minister of Justice of lying to Parliament to cover for the Minister of Internal Administration, Luís Neves. (disputed by 2 sources)
- The Chega party has requested an urgent parliamentary hearing for the National Director of the Judicial Police, Carlos Cabreiro. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The Minister stated that the information provided to her came from the Judicial Police (PJ) services. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The Minister of Internal Administration claimed the cost for destroying chemicals was approximately 150,000 euros. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The official budget proposal from Ambimed for chemical treatment was 144,456 euros plus VAT, totaling 177,444 euros. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-09: Chega party demands hearing for PJ Director over chemical destruction costs

The Chega party has demanded an urgent hearing for the head of the Judicial Police following disputes over the reported costs of destroying chemicals seized in Operação Pacoba.

13 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/rita-jdice-defends-transparency-in-operao-pacoba

### 2026-09-03: Portuguese Ministry of Justice addresses PJ chemical destruction and audit

Portugal's Ministry of Justice confirmed a 144,000 euro budget for destroying chemicals seized in ‘Operação Pacoba’ and expects audit results regarding the Polícia Judiciária by year-end.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/portuguese-ministry-of-justice-addresses-pj-chemical-destruction-and-audit

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Cite as: Portuguese political controversy over Operação Pacoba. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/portuguese-political-controversy-over-operao-pacoba