The case centers on the alleged use of bank accounts between 2011 and 2014 by individuals associated with Carlos Santos Silva, his wife, and the driver of José Sócrates to funnel illicit funds to the former prime minister.
The 2017 indictment by the Public Prosecutor’s Office claims that the businessman and friend of the former Prime Minister (2005-2011) was one of the frontmen used by José Sócrates to conceal funds obtained through corruption to benefit Grupo Lena, Grupo Espírito Santo, and the Vale do Lobo group.
“It is very clear that Carlos Santos Silva never acted solely in his own interest; he acted to protect José Sócrates and engaged in passive corruption,” stated prosecutor Jorge Rosário Teixeira during the preliminary hearing held today at the Central Criminal Instruction Court in Lisbon.
The case is being handled separately from the main Operation Marquês trial, which is set to begin on July 3. Alongside José Sócrates and Carlos Santos Silva, other individuals involved in this secondary process are also defendants.
This situation, described by the magistrate as unique, stems from an April 2021 decision by the Central Criminal Instruction Court, which was ordered to be revisited by the Lisbon Court of Appeal in March 2024.
During today’s preliminary hearing, preceding the new decision by the court, the prosecutor did not rule out the possibility of merging the two cases. However, he noted that if the secondary case proceeds independently, it must “tell a story” similar to the original allegations made by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
This secondary process also considers whether José Sócrates and Carlos Santos Silva will face trial for document forgery, with the prescription of this crime already recognized today by Rosário Teixeira.
