José Coelho / Lusa
“I regret that Costa was silent all these years about this truth, it is cowardice.” SOCRATE JUDGMENT RATED YESTERDAY.
José Sócrates accused the former prime minister António Costa de cowardice for being silent about the fact that he was the one who introduced him to former minister Manuel Pinho.
“Eu I summon António Costa so that this truth is to be cleara. It was he who introduced me Manuel Pinho. It was no Ricardo Salgado. And what I am sorry, yes, (…) is that Dr. António Costa was silent for all these years about this truth. I could have said immediately, ”said José Sócrates outside the court.
For the former minister, António Costa’s attitude “is just cowardice“And admits that the distance from António Costa caused” some suffering, but that was 10 years ago, not now. “But” they are past waters, “he said.
According to the prosecutor’s accusation (MP), Manuel Pinho, who was Minister of Economy in the socialist government of José Sócrates, was nominated by former president of Banco Espírito Santo (BES), Ricardo Salgado, to intercede in the executive for the benefit of Salgado’s interests.
“I had no knowledge with Ricardo Salgado. My relationship with Manuel Pinho began just when Dr. António Costa introduced me”Said Socrates.
The defense of the former prime minister also asked the live television broadcast of judgment, without cuts or editions. “It is the only way to compatible with the guarantees of defense,” the lawyer said at the court’s door.
Ricardo Salgado, also accused in the case, was not present due to the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. The former banker does not even know that the trial began this Thursday, his lawyer Francisco Proença de Carvalho said: “For the court, even a dead man would go to court.”
“Feel of Déjà-Vu”
About Thursday’s session, Socrates said he left the court with “a Sensation of ‘Déjà-Vu‘, having seen this movie, ”insisting that he has proved his innocence in the instructional phase and that the trial will discuss everything that has already been discussed in three years of instruction.
José Sócrates argued that “there is absolute nullity” in this trial, since the judgment of the Lisbon Court of Appeal that holds the prosecution in trial cannot legally be viewed as an order of pronunciation.
“It is not. This is false. (…) The relationship cannot pronounce anyone, no citizen, unless he is a prosecutor or is a judge. Now, I am neither the prosecutor, thank God, nor judge. And therefore, I cannot be pronounced by the relationship as they [as juízas] They intend. That is, the judges are here to keep a scam, ”said Socrates.
As he had made at the entrance, Socrates said that the prosecution is based on the idea of an “” MP, leading to a change in the qualification of crimes imputed only with the purpose of maintaining the possibility of leading to trial.
“For what? To humiliate. Because deep down, in the background, all this has a goal. The goal of this whole show is humiliation,” he said.
Eleven years after José Sócrates was arrested at Lisbon airport, the trial of the former prime minister and 20 defendants has to date and has more than 650 witnesses.
They are at stake, including corruption, money laundering and tax fraud, for which the 21 defendants will be tried in this process. For now, 53 sessions are scheduled to extend until the end of this year, and in the future should be marked the following and, during this trial will be heard 225 witnesses called by the Public Prosecution Service and about 20 calls by the defense of each of the 21 defendants.
