O secretary general of the PS José Luís Carneiro considered today that the Attorney General of the Republic Amadeu Guerra “must provide complete clarifications” to the country about the wiretapping that involved former prime minister António Costa and about the consequences it draws regarding the determination of responsibilities.
In a statement sent to the agency Lusa Upon arrival in Toronto, José Luís Carneiro considered it “the greatest gravity that the Public Prosecutor’s Office had not complied with the legal obligation to immediately present to the Supreme Court of Justice” wiretaps involving a prime minister in office.
“In matters of this nature, and when listening to a Prime Minister is at stake, it is the Attorney General of the Republic himself who must provide complete clarifications to the country, as he must also announce the consequences it draws in terms of determining responsibilities”he maintained.
The PS leader said that the party will wait for the explanations given by Amadeu Guerra to announce “the initiatives that will be proposed so that this determination of responsibilities is effective and the appropriate conclusions and consequences are drawn”.
António Costa’s defense reiterated today that the Public Ministry must clarify the which is why the wiretaps involving the former prime minister were not detected and sent to the Supreme Court of Justice.
In a reaction sent to Lusa, regarding the clarification made today by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) about the wiretaps carried out within the scope of Operation Influencer, lawyers João Lima Cluny and Diogo Serrano considered that “at the very least, it is up to the Public Ministry to clarify the effective reason why it is now stating that telephone wiretaps involving the then Prime Minister of Portugal were not, allegedly, detected and were not, in time, and in compliance with the provisions of the law”.
“In fact, it is up to the Public Ministry to determine who is responsible for this happening and adopt the necessary measures”, added António Costa’s defense.
The PGR recognized today that seven wiretaps were identified in which the former prime minister was involved and which were not communicated to the Supreme Court of Justice “for various technical reasons”.
In a statement, the PGR explained that, recently, “in the course of a new analysis of all wiretaps carried out” within the scope of Operation Influencer, seven wiretaps were identified, “in which Prime Minister António Costa was also involved, a fact that, for various technical reasons, had not been initially detected”.
On November 7, 2023, five people were detained and later released as part of Operation Influencer, including Costa’s then chief of staff, Vítor Escária.