The secretary general of the PS considered this Friday, November 21, that the attorney general of the Republic “must provide complete clarifications” to the country about the wiretaps that involved former prime minister António Costa and the consequences he draws in terms of determining responsibilities.
In a statement sent to the Lusa agency upon arrival in Toronto, José Luís Carneiro considered it to be “very serious that the Public Prosecutor’s Office had not complied with the legal obligation to present it immediately to the Supreme Court of Justice” wiretaps involving a serving prime minister.
“In matters of this nature, and when it comes to listening to a Prime Minister, it is the Attorney General of the Republic himself who must provide complete clarifications to the country, as well as announce the consequences he draws in terms of determining responsibilities”he maintained.
The PS leader added that the party will wait for the explanations given by Amadeu Guerra to announce “the initiatives it will propose so that this determination of responsibilities is effective and the appropriate conclusions and consequences are drawn”.
António Costa’s defense reiterated this Friday that the Public Ministry must clarify the reason why the wiretaps involving the former prime minister were not detected and sent to the Supreme Court of Justice.
In a reaction sent to Lusa, regarding the clarification made today by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) regarding the wiretapping carried out within the scope of Operation Influencer, lawyers João Lima Cluny and Diogo Serrano considered that “at the very least, it is up to the Public Ministry to clarify the effective reason why it is now stating that telephone tapping involving the then Prime Minister of Portugal were not, allegedly, detected and were not, in time, and in compliance with the provisions of the law”.
“In fact, it is up to the Public Prosecutor’s Office to determine who is responsible for this happening and adopt the necessary measures”added António Costa’s defense.
The PGR acknowledged today that seven wiretaps were identified in which the former prime minister was involved and that they were not reported to the Supreme Court of Justice “for various technical reasons”.
In a statement, the PGR explained that, recently, “in the course of a new analysis of all wiretaps carried out” within the scope of Operation Influencer, seven wiretaps were identified, “in which Prime Minister António Costa was also involved, a fact that, for various technical reasons, had not been initially detected”.
On November 7, 2023, five people were detained and later released as part of Operation Influencer, including Costa’s then chief of staff, Vítor Escária.
There are suspicions of crime in the construction of a data center in Sines, district of Setúbal, in the exploration of lithium in Montalegre and Boticas, both in the district of Vila Real, and in the production of energy from hydrogen, also in Sines.
The case led to the fall of the absolute majority government of the now President of the European Council.