The Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DCIAP) maintained for several years, without judicial validation, 22 listens in which the then Prime Minister António Costa participated between 2020 and 2022. The interceptions were only sent to the Supreme Court of Justice (STJ) in October of this year, when the court no longer had the competence to consider them. The news was advanced by “News Diary” (DN).
The conversations, which also involve João Galamba, Diogo Lacerda Machado and João Pedro Matos Fernandes, had not been communicated to either the STJ or the Central Criminal Instruction Court (TCIC). Some date back to 2020. Lawyers were notified this Thursday of the TCIC’s decision, which considered “jurisdictional power exhausted”, after the STJ stated that, as Costa is not currently head of Government, it’s not up to you to speak out on the topic.
In the order cited by DN, DCIAP admits that some sessions “have not been identified” for the purposes of article 11 of the Criminal Procedure Code – the rule that establishes that it is the responsibility of the President of the Supreme Court of Justice to authorize, validate and order the destruction of wiretaps involving the President of the Republic, the President of the Assembly of the Republic or the Prime Minister.