The former prime minister, and main defendant in Operation Marquês, José Sócrates, came this Sunday, December 7, to clarify further details regarding his trips to the United Arab Emirates.
The clarification appears after the Morning Mail have reported that the former ruler spent, on both trips, “half of the annual lifetime pension” to which he is entitled as a former politician.
In a note sent to the newsrooms, José Sócrates says that the news is not from the newspaper, but rather “from the Public Ministry that continues the covert campaign” against him. “First it was the duration of the trips; now, the cost of them. They don’t get anything right – I already clarified that the trips were made in separate periods of less than five days; I am now forced to clarify that they were paid by the entities that invited me on a professional basis“. And “not being a political personality”, Sócrates defends not owing explanations to “anyone”, except to “defend himself from malicious media campaigns”.
These trips by the former prime minister have sparked controversy in recent days, as the Public Prosecutor’s Office feared the possibility that Sócrates was planning to evade justice, leaving doubts as to whether he had been absent from the country for more than five days without prior notice to the court.
This could lead to a request for the coercive measures to be increased. However, as he did this Sunday, the main defendant in the Marquês case went public to clarify that the trips were made at different periods and without exceeding five days of absence.