After the Christmas break, the courts are back to normal operation. This Monday, the President of the Republic will participate in the Opening of the Judiciary Year of 2025, in which developments are expected in the most media-driven cases of recent years.
BES case
With Ricardo Salgado as the main accused, the BES Case trial began in October and is unlikely to end this year. This week, former Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, head of the Government when Banco Espírito Santo fell in 2014, is expected to be heard. He is one of more than 700 testimonies called in this process.
In addition to Salgado, there are 17 other defendants, including three companies. In total, they are responsible for more than 300 crimes: money laundering, embezzlement, corruption, misrepresentation or criminal association. Only the former president of the Espírito Santo Group was accused of 65, but more than 10 crimes have already expired.
EDP case
The EDP case has already been convicted, even though it has not become final and unappealable. In July, former Economy Minister Manuel Pinho was sentenced to 10 years in prison for corruption, tax fraud and money laundering, accused of being an infiltrated BES agent in the Government of José Sócrates.
In this process, Ricardo Salgado was sentenced to six years and three months in prison. With pending appeals, the Court has not yet clarified whether the man they called “the owner of it all” should undergo a clinical and psychiatric evaluation, due to his Alzheimer’s condition, before or after a possible entry into prison.
Operation Marquis
There is still no date for the start of the trial, Operation Marquis continues. After being detained more than 10 years ago at Lisbon airport and being arrested in Évora, former prime minister José Sócrates is called to answer for more than 20 crimes: corruption, money laundering and tax fraud.
Sócrates was accused in 2017 after numerous requests and appeals presented by teams of lawyers, the Superior Council of Judiciary created a working group to speed up the process.
Judge Ivo Rosa had, in the instructional decision, ruled out crimes that, by decision of the Court of Appeal, will now be brought to trial. Last month, it was decided which judge will lead this phase of the process.
Operation Influencer
The absolute majority of António Costa, now president of the European Council, fell more than a year ago. Operation Influencer, known in November 2023, is still in the investigation phase.
Among those accused are João Galamba, former Minister of Infrastructure, and Vítor Escária, Costa’s former chief of staff, who had 75 thousand euros in notes hidden in books and wine boxes.
The construction of a data center in the industrial zone of Sines and the exploration of lithium in Montalegre and Boticas are at the center of the investigation.
Death of Odair Moniz
The death of Odair Moniz, following a police chase, led to one of the most publicized investigations of last year. No report on what happened in Cova da Moura that early morning in October has yet been delivered to the Public Ministry.
The PSP agent accused of murder did not return to work and remains on sick leave.
Rui Pinto trial
The second trial of Rui Pinto, who is responsible for more than 200 computer crimes, begins this week. In the first case he was sentenced to a four-year suspended sentence.
The final arguments include the trial of the case of the road between Borba and Vila Viçosa that collapsed in 2018 next to a quarry and caused five deaths.
The trial of the man who killed two women at the Ismaili Center, in Lisbon, in 2023, also continues this Monday.
