Pedro Nunes / Lusa
Former Prime Minister José Sócrates.
Thirteen years later, a “historic” victory for the former prime minister. André Ventura is against it and believes that “there are times” when justice should override the law.
The former prime minister Joseph Socrates achieved a partial victory, which he considered “historic”, against the State, which was ordered to pay him 15 thousand euros for violating judicial secrecy, but the Public Ministry will appeal and the Court rejected the thesis that the State was responsible for the delay in Operation Marquis.
Sócrates says he has lost around 300,000 euros a year since he was arrested in November 2014 as part of Operation Marquês. The allegation was presented in the action that the former prime minister filed against the Portuguese State, because of leaks that occurred during the investigation.
At issue was, among other points, an agreement of 12,500 euros per month with a pharmaceutical company linked to Paulo Lalanda e Castro. According to , the listening to the Marquês process would indicate, however, that one of the contracts would be fictitious, as the company would receive resources from Carlos Santos Silva.
Thirteen years after the start of the inquiry, Socrates achieved a partial victory. The former ruler asked for 205 thousand euros in compensation, but the Lisbon Administrative Court for violating the secrecy of justice.
In the sentence, the judge considered that José Sócrates suffered non-pecuniary damage due to the disclosure of information subject to judicial secrecy by State bodies during the investigation.
The court, however, did not agree with the former prime minister’s accusation that the State was responsible for the delay in the Marquis process.
The Public Ministry confirmed this Tuesday that it will appeal the decision.
José Sócrates classified the sentence as “historic” and reinforced that none of this was done for the money itself.
“This is the first time that the State has been condemned for violating judicial secrecy”, said the former prime minister, in Ericeira, where he lives.
Ventura against her
The president of Chega defended this Tuesday that the Portuguese State should not pay any compensation to José Sócrates, even if he is ultimately condemned to do so, ensuring that if he becomes prime minister he will not do so.
Andre Ventura announced that the party will deliver ten diplomas that it classified as “one of the biggest, if not the biggest anti-corruption package in Portugal” so that “cases like the one involving the former prime minister are not repeated.”
Asked whether a possible political decision not to comply with a court order does not violate the principle of separation of powers, André Ventura considered that “there are times” when justice must take precedence over the law.
“The courts apply justice in the name of the people, the same people will be outraged by this compensation,” he said.
If all national and international resources are exhausted, Ventura said that, if he is prime minister, he will instruct the public administration not to pay this compensation and, if he is leader of the opposition, he will urge the government in office not to do so.
