“They were normal transfers, in the sense that the lady spoke with me, requested the execution of the transfer, and we carried it out,” reported Jose Socrates’ bank account manager from 2009 to 2014, during the trial of Operation Marquis. She clarified that the amounts moved were in the “tens of thousands of euros” range, without specifying when this occurred.
When questioned by the Public Prosecutor’s Office about the origin of the funds, Teresa Veríssimo emphasized that they were never deposited in cash and associated them with the “sale of one or two properties.”
The banker also noted that the former official “normally was not” aware of the amount of money in the account, with instances where the balance limits and credit card ceilings were reached or exceeded.
“I remember him calling me to complain that the card wasn’t working […] and we concluded that there was no mistake, that the ceiling was maxed out,” she recounted.
Jose Socrates, 67, is indicted on 22 charges, including three of corruption, for allegedly receiving money to benefit the Lena group, the Espírito Santo Group (GES), and the Vale do Lobo resort in separate matters.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office believes that the bribes reached the prime minister through intermediaries and thus questions both the legitimacy of the former prime minister’s mother’s real estate sale and the ownership of an apartment in Paris, France.
In total, the case involves 21 defendants, who have generally denied the 117 economic-financial crimes charged against them.
The trial has been ongoing since July 3 at the Central Criminal Court of Lisbon, with sessions scheduled at least until December 18, 2025.
