The Lisbon Court announced today that it has requested the judgment on the guardianship of Ricardo Salgado from the Cascais Court, delaying the decision on the potential dismissal of the Operation Marquês case concerning the former banker.
On July 8, the Cascais Local Civil Court declared the guardianship of Ricardo Salgado, 81, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, limiting his rights and appointing his wife as his guardian, effective from January 1, 2019.
In a motion submitted on Friday to the Lisbon Central Criminal Court, where the Operation Marquês trial is being held, the defense of the former president of Banco Espírito Santo (BES) argued that this constitutes a “new legally relevant fact”, allowing judges to reassess the dismissal of the case against Ricardo Salgado or, “at the very least (subsidiarily), its suspension as long as the defendant’s current clinical condition persists”.
In today’s first session of the Operation Marquês trial following the judicial holiday, the head of the judges’ panel, Susana Seca, clarified that she had already requested a “certificate of judgment” from the Cascais Court, which has yet to be received in Lisbon.
Once received, the Public Ministry, defendants, and assistants will be asked to comment on the matter before the judges make a decision.
Ricardo Salgado is one of 21 defendants in the Operation Marquês case, charged with eight counts of money laundering and three of active corruption, including one involving former Prime Minister José Sócrates (2005-2011) as the alleged corrupted party.
In today’s session, the former leader, facing 22 charges, stated that the developments in the trial regarding the former banker have caused him “a sense of revulsion”.
“A criminal court that disregards a person’s inability to defend themselves does not deserve the title of democratic,” José Sócrates asserted.
