The former secretary-general of the Ministry of Justice, Maria Antónia Anes is to remain under house arrest as her appeal to have her electronic bracelet removed and bail conditions relaxed has failed.
The Court of Appeal under Judge Francisco Caramelo today rejected her lawyer’s defense and Anes remains subject to the same conditions as before after she was arrested in November 2014 in the Golden Visa round up of bent state employees.
On Wednesday the conditions were changed for Manuel Jarmela Palos, the former director of the Foreigners and Borders Service, who also was arrested as part of operation Labyrinth and resigned as a result.
Palos is no longer under house arrest and under electronic surveillance but has to report to a police station twice a week and may not leave the country. He also is not allowed to talk to or contact any of the other 10 defendants in the case.
Operation Labyrinth investigated corruption in the Golden Visa scheme which soon after its launch by deputy PM Paulo Portas, himself still under suspicion in the submarine procurement case, was abused by a raft of high up senior state employees including the former President of the Institute of Registries and Notaries, António Figueiredo, who remains in custody.
The Golden Visa was seen as a golden opportunity for those tasked with running it to enrich themselves.
Evidence points to active and passive corruption, improper receipt of advantage, prevarication, embezzlement, abuse of power and influence peddling related to the granting of Golden Visa residence permits.
Despite the international scorn poured on Portugal for the clear abuse of the scheme where in practice money could buy or expedite a visa, the star struck Paulo Portas has widened the offer to include those willing to invest in Portugal’s national heritage, a category that has those in charge of administering the programme wondering what he means and what is next.
