Em exclusive interview with SIC and ExpressoAntónio Costa was not optimistic about Operation Influencer and stated that he did not expect rapid progress. Last week, news broke about the wiretapping process that caught the former prime minister and sparked controversy. These wiretaps had not been sent by the Public Prosecutor’s Office to the Supreme Court of Justice, as required by law.
The Attorney General’s Office ended up issuing a statement which, however, did not fully clarify the doubts nor calm the chorus of criticism directed at the Public Ministry. In the text, the PGR justified that the wiretaps had not been sent to the Supreme Court due to a technical failure.
In an interview with Jornal do Dia, from SIC Notícias, Rui Cardoso, director of the Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DCIAP), states that some of the cases did not detect António Costa’s intervention.
The director of DCIAP said that nothing was hidden in the process, stating that “there was a failure”.
The origin of Operation Influencer
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.
There are suspicions of crime in the construction of a data center in Sines, district of Setúbal, in the exploration of lithium in Montalegre and Boticas, both in the district of Vila Real, and in the production of energy from hydrogen, also in Sines.
The case led to the fall of the absolute majority government of the now President of the European Council.