“These are matters related to justice, and we must let justice do its work. I wish to say no more,” stated PS Secretary-General José Luís Carneiro to journalists, adding that the judiciary “conducts its proceedings as it deems fit,” and refused to comment “on the timing of justice.”
The PS Secretary-General expressed confidence “in the institutions of the rule of law” and the country, believing that “the institutions have their work rhythms, they have their options, and there will certainly be justification for these actions to occur when justice considers it appropriate.”
José Luís Carneiro was speaking at a rally supporting the candidacy of former deputy João Paulo Correia (PS) for the Vila Nova de Gaia Council, which also has the support of PAN, despite not being a formal coalition, with the party’s spokeswoman, Inês de Sousa Real, also present.
Inês de Sousa Real remarked, “the judiciary should not halt its work because we are in an election campaign.”
“In fact, the Spinumviva case began precisely during the legislative elections,” she said, rejecting a coincidence of recent requests for information made to Luís Montenegro by the authorities.
The sole deputy of PAN recalled that in the previous legislative elections, “preventive inquiries were made, for example, to Pedro Nuno Santos [former PS Secretary-General].”
“At that time, I don’t recall hearing these criticisms. We can’t have one standard for others and a different one for the current government. Let justice handle what pertains to justice, let time pass and the investigation proceed,” she added.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro today denied any responsibility in the delay of the preliminary investigation into the business dealings of the family company Spinumviva, reaffirming his calmness.
After visiting the São João da Madeira Municipal Market, he faced questions about a report by the newspaper Público regarding insinuations by his office about alleged political motivations by the authorities investigating the Spinumviva case, a claim he denied.
“My office informed Público that I received two clarification requests, one during the legislative electoral campaign and another now on the eve of the municipal elections. That’s a fact, not an insinuation, it’s a fact,” he stated.
In its current edition, Público mentions that the Prime Minister’s official response associates the dates of documentation requests in the preliminary investigation of the Spinumviva case with two electoral campaigns, suggesting political motives in the timing chosen by the Public Prosecution Office (MP) and the Judiciary Police.
On September 19, the Prime Minister said that the MP’s request for more documents about Spinumviva was nothing extraordinary and that he would send them “as soon as possible.”
However, the Prime Minister declined to specify which documents were requested.
The MP requested more documentation from the Prime Minister to complete the preliminary investigation into the dealings of his family business Spinumviva, as confirmed by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR).
