Former Minister of Education Antonio Couto dos Santos
He went to play golf alone and on foot, something that had never happened before. In one of the holes, he disappeared and was only seen later, already in the lake. Autopsy raises doubts and leaves all hypotheses open.
The death of the former Social Democratic minister Antônio Couto dos Santoson January 6, remains shrouded in mystery.
If the autopsy results raise questions about the true cause of death, atypical behaviors of Russia’s former honorary consul in Porto on the day of his death are also being investigated by the authorities.
On the 6th, Couto dos Santos went to a lake at the City Golf golf course, in Matosinhos, a place he regularly visited, according to a TVI report. Normally, Couto dos Santos took his four-year-old daughter to school, but on that fateful day it was his wife, of Russian origin, who did so.
Couto dos Santos went to City Golf, alone and without adequate equipment to play, something that had never happened before. He chose to complete the nine-hole circuit on foot — again, something he had never done before. On green no. 7, it disappeared: It was only found later, in the lake, by other golfers.
Although the hypothesis of crime was initially ruled out, the autopsy also revealed inconsistencies. No signs of heart attack were detectedand the origin of a blow to the forehead and bruises near the ear is still to be determined.
Will now be done toxicological tests The results may take up to three months to be known. These exams will investigate whether the new diabetes medication that the former minister was taking, which caused him blurred vision and sometimes loss of this sense, may have contributed to the incident.
According to an exclusive from TVI/, the former Deputy Minister of the Prime Minister and Youth (1987-1991) and Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs (1991-1992) had expressed his intention to draw up a willto ensure equality between her three children, including her youngest daughter.
Despite all the doubts, the Public Ministry has not yet assigned the investigation to the Civil Police. At this moment, all hypotheses are still open.
Until the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Couto dos Santos was honorary consul of Russia in Porto, having presented his refusal to that position in February 2022, and was an intermediary in business with China.
