The issue arose when Pedro Delille assumed the session would start later than scheduled, resulting in his late arrival at the trial, during which José Sócrates was represented for about half an hour by a court-appointed lawyer.
The hearing was set for 9:30 AM today to question the former prime minister’s mother as a witness. She did not appear after Pedro Delille submitted a medical certificate on Wednesday afternoon noting that the 94-year-old’s health condition prevents her from attending court.
According to the presiding judge, Susana Seca, the lawyer explained by phone that he was late because he presumed that following the submission of the certificate, the session would begin later.
During the trial, the lawyer attempted to explain his lateness to the court and to lodge a protest, but he was prevented from doing so by the judge.
“You won’t scold me,” Pedro Delille remarked, to which the judge responded, “The joke is over.”
The court also informed the Bar Association about the delay of the representative of José Sócrates’s ex-wife, Filipe Baptista, who believed that he was aware the former prime minister’s mother would not be attending.
The lawyer assured the court his absence at 9:30 was due to a personal issue, not the aforementioned reason.
Sofia Fava was similarly represented by a court-appointed lawyer at the beginning of the session.
Additionally, José Sócrates’s mother, Maria Adelaide Monteiro, will have three days to justify her absence today, as there is no authorization on record allowing her to be represented by her son’s lawyer.
José Sócrates, aged 68, is charged with 22 crimes, including three counts of corruption, for allegedly accepting money to benefit the Lena Group, Grupo Espírito Santo (GES), and the Algarve resort Vale do Lobo in various matters.
The case involves 21 defendants who generally deny the 117 economic-financial crimes they are accused of.
The trial has been ongoing since July 3 at the Central Criminal Court of Lisbon, with sessions scheduled at least until December 18, 2025.
