The union expressed “strong condemnation of accusations against court officials — particularly the class of justice officers —” by José Preto, the new lawyer of José Sócrates, within the scope of the Operation Marquês case.
The issue, according to the union, involves allegations made by José Preto in a request submitted during the case, where he insinuates that court officials leaked information to the media about his representation of the defendant.
“These insinuations, which are clearly unfounded, injurious, and inappropriate, besides showing an incomprehensible nervousness on the part of the subscriber, severely undermine the good name, honor, and professional integrity of an entire class. By implying ‘indecent practices,’ ‘abuse of functions,’ and even suggesting the existence of officials engaged in a ‘business of indications,’ José Preto assigns false and highly offensive behaviors to court officials, without any correspondence to reality,” the statement emphasized.
The union recalled that the request was submitted through the Citius platform, which was immediately accessible to all procedural parties, including public prosecutors, judges, 22 defendants, and about a dozen assistants.
According to the Sindicato dos Funcionários Judiciais, “it makes no sense, nor has any foundation, to hold court officials responsible for the public disclosure of an act to which so many had simultaneous access.”
The union further stated that “the accusations made by lawyer José Preto blatantly violate this professional duty, and are therefore wholly unacceptable.”
“Due to the seriousness of these statements, the union announced that a complaint will be lodged with the Ordem dos Advogados and criminal proceedings will be initiated, as they constitute defamatory statements directed at the entire class,” it stressed.
