Alexandra Leitão, a member of the Socialist Party, commented on the issue of alleged unauthorized wiretaps involving António Costa during Operation Influencer, on Sunday night, November 23, on CNN Portugal.
The former Minister for State Modernization and Public Administration during one of Costa’s governments stated that “the law is very clear” about how wiretaps “involving a prime minister” should be handled, and this was not followed.
Leitão noted that the wiretaps in question “incidentally” involved António Costa, but “he was not the target of the wiretaps.” In such cases, when a prime minister is involved, “the law is very clear: the Supreme Court must intervene to decide if the contents of the wiretap are relevant or not and based on that, either retain or destroy them”.
“And we learn that this didn’t happen with all the wiretaps involving the ex-prime minister. Regardless of what was on those recordings, it highlights two concerning issues: many things are not functioning well within the Judiciary and the early stages led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO)”, Leitão asserted.
Furthermore, she recalled that António Costa “tried to access the file, prior to it being under judicial secrecy, and was denied.”
Leitão also brought up the case of Judge Ivo Rosa, who was investigated “based on an anonymous tip for allegedly trying to view the case file and being denied,” expressing that “there are already numerous incidents demonstrating the need for improvements in the Justice system, particularly in the inquiry stages led by the PPO”.
“If you ask me: is political intervention being advocated? No. I am advocating that these situations be assessed within the appropriate forum – the Superior Council of the Public Prosecutor’s Office”, she stated, emphasizing that in a Democratic State of Law, “all citizens must be equal before the law, especially regarding criminal law, which must be upheld.”
“And the law dictated something that, if the news is true, was not followed in seven cases, in seven wiretaps. This results in what I’ve often said about political power, which is a principle applicable here: the Democratic State of Law means democracy but also requires procedures, formalities, and forms, and when due process is not followed, things go awry,” she stressed, adding that this is also a “process that led to the fall of a government with an absolute majority, thus the utmost caution is necessary.”
It is noted that, according to Diário de Notícias, António Costa, the current President of the European Council, was recorded 22 times in conversations with suspects of Operation Influencer, unbeknownst to higher courts.
The recordings reached the Supreme Court of Justice this year but cannot be used against the former prime minister. The Attorney General’s Office confirms seven wiretaps presented to the court.
The case involves conversations between the then Portuguese prime minister and other figures implicated in the case, such as João Galamba, at the time Secretary of State for Energy, Diogo Lacerda Machado, and João Pedro Matos Fernandes, then Minister of Environment and Climate Action, three key figures in Operation Influencer.
