The former Prime Minister José Sócrates asserts that the judge “cannot do as she pleases” after she denied the request from his new lawyer for five and a half months to examine the Marquês case, granting only 10 days.
“I have no antagonism with the judge; I seek to defend my dignity and won’t allow any authoritarianism from the judge towards me, just as she wouldn’t accept it herself. I believe we have built the necessary environment for this to continue. I will defend my rights whether the judge wants it or not,” Sócrates stated in an interview with CNN Portugal.
He added, “My right to defense demands that I have an attorney who is in a position to master the case, study the case, and establish a defense strategy. If the judge thinks she can do whatever she wants, she is mistaken,” he cautioned, suggesting he might appeal to the European court.
“The judge wants to turn this into a caricature. She intends to disregard and dismiss defense rights. [But] the judge will face someone who fights for their rights and defense guarantees,” reiterated José Sócrates.
The former head of government emphasized that the case “contains 90,000 pages” and that his new lawyer “has just arrived”. “The judge’s idea that my lawyer does not have the right to familiarize himself with the case before starting the defense is an idea that does not align with constitutional principles,” he asserted.
“This promises to become a battle that the judge had every opportunity to avoid,” he noted further.
Regarding the resignation of the previous lawyer, Pedro Delille, Sócrates claimed that the “judge provoked him and led to this situation.”
“The judge wants to convince the Portuguese people that I was the cause of my lawyer’s resignation, [suggesting] we planned this or had some strategy. Take note: Dr. Pedro Delille has unmatched knowledge of the case. He was absolutely essential to my defense, no one knows the case like him, and the judge caused him to resign,” Sócrates asserted in the same interview.
“Pedro Delille was more than my lawyer; he was my companion for 11 years,” he emphasized. “A quarter of my adult life has been spent facing this case, always behaving as a free man because if they want to humiliate me, they are mistaken.”
As for the choice of a new lawyer, José Sócrates explained that he arrived at José Preto precisely on the recommendation of Pedro Delille. Additionally, he was impressed “especially by his track record” and also knowing “that his children had been classmates” with his own.
The court handling the Operação Marquês case has given the new lawyer of former Prime Minister José Sócrates 10 days to familiarize himself with the case, scheduling the next trial session for January 6.
José Preto, known for defending the ex-president of Sporting Bruno de Carvalho, is the new attorney for José Sócrates in the Operação Marquês.
Notícias ao Minuto with Lusa | 13:17 – 26/11/2025
