Rio says that admission that Costa is not a suspect and appointment to the European Council are “a shame for Justice”
The former leader of the PSD, who is one of the signatories of the manifesto for justice reform, comments on Rosário Teixeira’s statements to SIC. The prosecutor admits that the former prime minister will not be the target of suspicion in Operation Influencer, despite this being the case that led to the fall of the government.
Rui Rio states that the admission that António Costa is not a suspect in the Operation Influencer process supports the criticism of the Public Ministry. In an interview with SIC, the former president of the PSD and signatory of the manifesto for justice reform declared that the choice of the former prime minister for the presidency of the European Council “is a shame for Portuguese Justice”.
In exclusive statements to SIC, the prosecutor Rosário Teixeira declared that António Costa is not a suspect in the case that led to his resignation from the Government, since he has not been accused and this is a requirement when there are suspicions. Now, Rui Rio sees in these words an admission of the failure of public ministry.
Talking about how, after abandoning the Government of Portugal, António Costa was appointed to the presidency of the European Councilthe former PSD leader concludes that the highest European political leaders “gave no credit” to Portuguese justice – and that this is something that embarrasses her.
Rui Rio argues, therefore, that the Public Ministry “should put its hand on its conscience” and that the prosecutor should stop “hypocrisy” and make an “apology”.
As to criticism left by prosecutor Rosário Teixeira to the manifesto for justice reform, of which Rui Rio is a signatorythe former social-democratic president rejects that he is “against the Public Ministry”, retorting that he is just “against the situation we are in” – and, therefore, “in favor” of a reform.
For Rui Rio, one cannot just think about giving the Public Ministry “all the freedom and more” to investigatewithout also thinking about the freedom given to him “not to investigate”.
“Do you think there have never been complaints in your life that should have been investigated and weren’t?”said the former political leader, mentioning, in the abstract, investigations into certain political parties or sports clubs that never happened.
Rui Rio therefore asks that there be a subsequent scrutiny of the actions of the Public Prosecutor’s Office – and admits that the architecture for this scrutiny can be reconfigured, as long as it is “independent”.
Finally, asked why does not believe that it will be with Luís Montenegro that justice reform will advance and if he sees a lack of courage in the current prime minister to carry it out, the former president of the PSD once again emphasizes that “messing with the courts does not bring votes”.
“We can do this when public opinion is sufficiently aware that this cannot continue and that politicians are cowards and do not have the courage to change”he concluded.
