The delay in bringing Operation Marquês to a close and the listing of charges and a trial date for the former Prime Minister, José Sócrates, has been extended by the Attorney General, Joana Marques Vidal.
The reason now given is that the prosecution team, led by prosecutor Rosário Teixeira, has yet to receive replies to certain key letters rogatory that are needed to complete the financial picture of illicit funds, cash payments and illegal offshore transfers.
The investigation into José Sócrates and his contemporaries is not due to draw to a close until the end of September, or even October, this year as not all of the letters rogatory, sent by Rosário Teixeira’s team, had received replies.
The Swiss are holding out, amid suspicion that many of financial transactions linked to José Sócrates and his chums that went through Swiss banks, are key to establishing who was paying what to whom.
Holidays are cancelled for the Portuguese team amassing the mountain of files in Operation Marques as they check and recheck their evidence is correctly presented while waiting for these final answers from overseas.
The fourth anniversary of the start of the inquiry into José Sócrates’ financial dealings and millionaire lifestyle was celebrated on June 23rd and the former PM and his legal team have lodged several complaints that this delay is unfair, unconstitutional and inhumane.
There is some sympathy for this view but many citizens in Portugal also have to wait years for their civil cases to be heard and are cheered that such a high profile case is taking so long as it highlights seemingly endless delays in accessing justice.
Operation Marquis will end and the trial will start, of this we can be sure. On the plus side, José Sócrates has had plenty of time to work on his defence.
