“Any conclusion reached and a decision made is welcome news,” stated the presidential candidate during an interaction with journalists following a visit to the facilities of the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) in Lisbon.
On this occasion, the candidate was questioned about statements made by the Attorney General, who expressed hopes that the preliminary investigation into the Spinumviva case, involving the family of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, would be finalized by the start of the judicial Christmas recess on December 22.
“There is an ongoing preliminary investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the critical aspect is a swift resolution. Whether it is before or after the elections, the most important element is speed,” he remarked.
When asked whether the decision should be released before the official campaign for the presidential elections on January 18 begins, the candidate backed by PSD and CDS-PP emphasized that “the legal and judicial issue should remain separate from politics.”
“Let’s not mix the two; it is completely irrelevant,” he asserted.
Marques Mendes was further questioned about other remarks from the Attorney General regarding the Influencer Operation, in which Amadeu Guerra indicated having no agendas and reiterated dissatisfaction with the release of recorded conversations involving former Prime Minister António Costa.
“I understand that the Public Prosecutor’s Office does not operate on an agenda, but there are certainly some things that need clarification. No one has yet understood what is happening with the Influencer Operation and why it remains unresolved after two years. Concluding it does not necessarily mean archiving; it could mean either archiving or filing charges,” he explained.
The candidate for the presidency and former PSD leader also expressed confusion over the fact that, after all this time, it remains unclear why 75,000 euros in cash were found hidden in an official office adjacent to the Prime Minister’s at São Bento, the official residence of the Prime Minister.
“Is this normal? It’s not. Has anyone figured out what happened? No. I understand that the Public Prosecutor is highly professional, and the Attorney General is both professional and competent, but we, the Portuguese, need answers to these questions,” he stated.
On International Anti-Corruption Day, Luís Marques Mendes praised the work of the PJ, emphasizing it is “a very competent and professional police force of which all Portuguese should be proud,” and highlighting the reinforcements and cooperation with Portuguese-speaking African countries.
“Portuguese citizens often have reasons to criticize, and they should, but we should also commend what functions well and what is competent, the institutions that conduct highly professional work, especially in areas that should be prioritized, such as combating corruption and addressing economic and financial crime,” he insisted.
When asked about his professional past, the presidential candidate stated that “everything is public” regarding his “one and a half to two-year tenure as chairman of the General Assembly” of Banco Caixa Angola.
“The goal was to resolve an existing issue that almost prevented the bank from operating. Once I helped address that problem, which I am very proud of, I resigned and left, mission accomplished,” he said, adding that he is “free to deal with anything” and that “those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear.”
