The trial began on July 3 at the Central Criminal Court of Lisbon, where three judges, led by Susana Seca, have been presiding over proceedings involving the former Prime Minister, José Sócrates, and 20 other defendants.
At 53, the magistrate has faced criticism from Sócrates and his defense both in and out of the courtroom, located at the Lisbon Justice Campus, which was inaugurated by the ex-leader himself in 2009.
On the first day, the former Secretary-General of the Socialist Party accused the presiding judge of displaying “complete bias” by denying a defense request to suspend the trial.
Subsequent sessions have seen frequent reprimands from the magistrate directed at Sócrates and his lawyer, Pedro Delille, who resigned on November 4, citing “ethical reasons” and describing the proceedings as a “sham trial.”
Delille had represented the former leader since his arrest in November 2014. After his resignation, the court appointed an official attorney, prompting further criticism from Sócrates, who managed to have the trial suspended on November 11 to appoint a new lawyer.
The new attorney, José Preto, originally sought five and a half months to familiarize himself with the case, but will, unless successful in any appeal, have only 10 days plus the necessary time for notifications and contacting witnesses.
The trial is expected to resume on January 6, with more than a hundred witnesses yet to be heard.
Testimonies have been provided by a range of individuals, from former ministers to domestic workers and bank executives, focusing on financial transactions associated with Sócrates.
On September 10, Sócrates suspended his testimony, citing fatigue, just as he was set to address the sums and deals allegedly resulting from bribes.
The former Prime Minister faces charges for 22 crimes, including three counts of corruption, allegedly receiving money via proxies and foreign accounts to favor Lena Group, Espírito Santo Group, and the Vale do Lobo resort.
In court, Sócrates denied being corrupted or taking money, accusing the Public Prosecutor’s Office, led by prosecutor Rómulo Mateus, of seeking political rather than criminal clarifications.
Among the 20 other defendants is businessman Carlos Santos Silva, considered a key proxy, and alleged corruptors including former banker Ricardo Salgado, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, and former Portugal Telecom executives Henrique Granadeiro and Zeinal Bava.
The defendants face a total of 117 economic and financial crimes, which they generally deny. The offenses, allegedly committed between 2005 and 2014, could see the earliest corruption charges, related to Vale do Lobo, expire in the first half of 2026, according to the court.
