“We all know […] that this case represents, has represented, everything that can go wrong in a process. It’s a guide for what cannot happen,” stated Rita Alarcão Júdice, on the sidelines of the XIX Annual Meeting of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, taking place today and tomorrow in Setúbal.
The minister, however, refrained from commenting on the decision made on Tuesday by the Lisbon Central Criminal Court to proceed with the trial without granting the court-appointed lawyer assigned to José Sócrates time to familiarize himself with the case.
“I will not comment on the judge’s decision. It’s important that the process continues, and the judge must have the autonomy to conduct the process. I do not think this step was mishandled,” she stated.
The lawyer who had been representing José Sócrates since his arrest in November 2014, Pedro Delille, resigned on Tuesday from representing the former prime minister (2005-2011) in the Operation Marquês, citing “ethical reasons” and describing it as a “sham trial.”
As the trial cannot proceed without all defendants having representation, the court ordered the appointment of a court-appointed lawyer, typically for defendants with financial difficulties.
In his first intervention, the court-appointed lawyer, José Ramos, requested 48 hours to get acquainted with the case, a request that was denied by the panel of judges chaired by Susana Seca, as it is considered an urgent process.
José Sócrates, aged 68, has been indicted (charged after inquiry) for 22 crimes, including three of corruption, for allegedly receiving money to benefit different dossiers involving the Lena group, the Espírito Santo Group (GES), and the Algarve resort of Vale do Lobo.
In total, the case involves 21 defendants, who generally deny committing the 117 economic-financial crimes they are globally charged with.
The trial has been underway since July 3 at the Lisbon Central Criminal Court and has sessions scheduled at least until December 18, 2025.
