Former PM of Portugal held in graft probe
Print Edition
PORTUGUESE police have arrested former Socialist prime minister Jose Socrates and three other people in an investigation of suspected tax fraud, corruption and money-laundering, the Prosecutor General’s office said yesterday.
The arrest, the first involving a former premier in Portugal, follows detentions of other prominent people in separate inquiries in the past few months as prosecutors intensify a fight against corruption in the country.
It said in a statement that Socrates, 57, was detained late on Friday for suspicious banking operations and money transfers.
Portugal’s official news agency Lusa said police arrested Socrates at Lisbon airport as he arrived from abroad. He spent the night in a police station, according to a police official.
Socrates resigned as prime minister in the middle of his second four-year term in 2011, as an escalating debt crisis forced him to request an international bailout, which imposed painful austerity on Portugal.
His center-left Socialist party leads in opinion polls ahead of next year’s general election. The party could not immediately be reached for comment on the arrest.
A snap election in 2011 brought to power the current ruling coalition, which introduced unpopular austerity measures such as tax hikes, and cuts in wages and pensions.
After stepping down, Socrates left for Paris, where he attended a university course. He returned last year to become a regular commentator on RTP state television.
During his premiership, Socrates weathered several investigations, including allegations that he misused his position as environment minister in 2002 to allow the construction of a shopping mall. He denied wrongdoing and faced no formal charges.
Prosecutors have held and are investigating several prominent people in separate graft and fraud cases.
Last week, the head of Portugal’s immigration service, Manuel Palos, was arrested along with several other officials on suspicions of corruption linked to the issuing of so-called “golden visas” to wealthy foreign investors.
The inquiry also forced Interior Minister Miguel Macedo to resign.
In July, Ricardo Salgado, head of the Espirito Santo banking family was named as a suspect in a long-running money-laundering and tax evasion investigation.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
