The Portuguese prosecution launched an investigation against the paper "Sabado" for publishing the content of wiretaps regarding close associates of erstwhile Prime Minister António Costa. At the same time, the Lisbon Court of Appeal refused to return 75,8 1000 euro of the cash found in Vitor Escaria's office, Costa's erstwhile right hand. These are the immediate consequences of the scandal that led to the Prime Minister's resignation in late 2023.
The D.A. accuses "Sabado" that erstwhile publishing footage, there was a breach of the secrecy of the judiciary. The eavesdroppings, conducted between 2020 and 2020, included about 20 politicians and businessmen associated with Costa's 3 governments, who held the office of Prime Minister from 2015 to 2024. The recordings mainly afraid people from a close environment of politics, not himself.
Cash and secret intelligence
In Vitor Escaria's office, erstwhile Chief of Staff of Prime Minister Costa, not only EUR 74.8 1000 in cash was found, but besides a portable disk containing data from Portuguese intelligence agents. The money was hidden in 3 secret lockers that Escaria initially claimed he did not know.
The Lisbon Court of Appeal ruled in September that money gives emergence to suspicion that it could come from a crime. The judges so rejected Escaria's request for a refund of the cash.
Change of evidence under pressure
Escaria changed his evidence respective months after the search. He initially denied knowing the origin of the money. He later claimed that they came from salaries for advising 1 of the companies in Angola.
The discovery of cash and an intelligence disk in a trusted associate's office played a key function in Costa's decision to resign from the Prime Minister's office in late 2023.
Note: This article was created utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI).
