Leaving the court where he is being tried in the context of the Operation Marquês case in Lisbon, the former Prime Minister denied claims by Lisbon’s Mayor, Carlos Moedas, that Jorge Coelho, the Minister of Social Equipment in 2001 when the Entre-os-Rios bridge collapsed, was aware of issues with the structure.
“That is false. I remember that night, when the bridge over the river fell, I distinctly recall speaking with Minister Jorge Coelho. His resignation was not due to the knowledge of existing problems; it was for a political reason,” asserted José Sócrates, who was the Minister of Environment and Territorial Planning in 2001.
“Jorge Coelho was not aware of any problems that the bridge had, which the ministry already knew. He resigned because he understood there was political responsibility,” the former Prime Minister added.
On Sunday, during an interview with SIC regarding the causes of the fatal accident involving the Gloria Elevator in Lisbon, Carlos Moedas was confronted with the example of the late socialist Jorge Coelho. In 2001, Coelho resigned from his position as Minister of Social Equipment following the collapse of the Entre-os-Rios bridge over the Douro River.
Carlos Moedas rejected the comparison, stating that Jorge Coelho’s office had received information pointing to the bridge’s fragility before the accident, whereas, in his case, there had been no such warning regarding the Gloria Elevator.
The accident with the Gloria Elevator in Lisbon last Wednesday resulted in 16 deaths and several serious injuries.
