The family company of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro is once again at the center of an electoral campaign controversy. Just days before the municipal elections scheduled for next Sunday, October 12, Spinumviva is embroiled in a new scandal.
Officials investigating the activities of the company, the construction of Luís Montenegro’s house in Espinho, and the source of funds for acquiring two apartments in Lisbon—properties tied to the prime minister’s assets—believe the case can only be clarified through a criminal investigation that must be formally initiated by the Supreme Court of Justice.
The inquiry might involve suspicions of potential crimes, including illicit receipt of advantages and money laundering.
The prosecutors reached this conclusion after the Public Prosecution Office (MP) thoroughly examined all complaints and accusations regarding alleged crimes potentially linked to Luís Montenegro, which prompted an inquiry announced six months ago.
They assert that the only way to thoroughly clarify the reported situations is through a criminal investigation, which allows for more intrusive proof methods such as breaking banking and tax confidentiality and conducting searches to seize documents in physical or digital formats.
Furthermore, the Judiciary Police (PJ) shares this understanding and had previously suggested to the MP the need for an inquiry. The decision now rests with the Attorney General, Amadeu Guerra.
Attorney General does not confirm intention to open inquiry against Prime Minister
The Attorney General’s Office clarified yesterday evening that the preliminary inquiry related to Spinumviva is ongoing, and the MP is still awaiting documentation, so the inquiry continues.
“At this moment, there is no established conviction to conclude the preventive inquiry, and nothing has been proposed to the Attorney General in this regard,” stated a PGR communication sent to newsrooms.
The PGR also clarified that the inquiry is ongoing, and the MP “is still awaiting documentation, which will require analysis.”
Montenegro “astonished” by news about the inquiry. “Disgraceful”
The news has generated various reactions, including from Luís Montenegro himself, who admitted being “astonished” by the news of the potential inquiry.
“I am completely calm, although absolutely astonished and even outraged by the news, which, if coming from someone connected to the process, represents a disgraceful situation of procedural and democratic disloyalty,” the prime minister declared, calling the news “intolerable.”
“I don’t know the source of this news, but I know that I have provided all requested clarifications. The rest is disgraceful,” he stated from Faro, where he was campaigning.
Luís Montenegro reacted to the alleged intention to open an inquiry in the Spinumviva case on Tuesday.
Anabela Sousa Dantas with Lusa | 20:27 – 07/10/2025
According to Montenegro, he will not “break the bond of loyalty among all the parties involved in the process.” However, he remains available “to provide all clarifications.”
The Prime Minister also mentioned “obscure maneuvers” by unidentified individuals “just three or four days before the end of an electoral campaign,” emphasizing that “everything can be clarified” at a later point.
“In democracy, it’s natural to have vulnerabilities, and this is one of them: launching rumors, suspicions, insinuations from unidentified sources”, he criticized.
Calls for resignation and “avoiding hasty conclusions”
Among the first politicians to react was Chega’s president, André Ventura, who stated that Montenegro must provide all clarifications regarding the Spinumviva case, arguing it would be severe if a criminal inquiry were initiated.
“If the news reported by the media about opening an inquiry against the Prime Minister is true, it is crucial that the suspicions are promptly cleared up,” the leader of Chega stated on social media, noting that the “scenario is serious,” and the Prime Minister “cannot hide.”
“He must answer to justice and also to the Portuguese people,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the PS expressed enduring confidence in justice and stated that the Prime Minister should provide explanations on the Spinumviva matter “when the time comes,” urging to avoid hasty conclusions.
“My confidence in justice remains, and justice will do its work, at the appropriate time, with the method it considers suitable, and what I understand is that the Prime Minister, when the time comes, should give the explanations the authorities request,” José Luís Carneiro stated to journalists before entering a municipal campaign rally in Barreiro, Setúbal district.
Moreover, the Secretary-General of the PCP reiterated that the Prime Minister should have resigned before the legislative elections when the Spinumviva news first appeared, predicting that the case “will unfortunately linger for a long time.”
“At the time, we warned that the Prime Minister should have stepped down when this surfaced. He didn’t see that as a solution, forced elections, and carried this problem forward,” Paulo Raimundo criticized.
Montenegro’s vacation in Brazil under investigation
Meanwhile, magazine Sábado reports that Luís Montenegro’s vacation in Brazil in 2024 is under investigation, as investigators suspect that the expenses were charged to the prime minister’s family company after he transferred it to his children.
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