DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Portuguese Judge Orders Release of Those Detained in Corruption Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LISBON (Reuters) - A Lisbon judge ordered on Monday that all five people detained last week for alleged corruption and influence-peddling, including the outgoing Portuguese prime minister's former chief of staff, be released from custody, the court said. They remain suspects in the investigation into alleged illegalities in the government's handling of lithium and hydrogen projects, as well as a large-scale data centre. The probe has led to the resignation of Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who is the target of a related investigation, and a snap election being called for March 10. Lacerda Machado was released on a 150,000-euro ($160,305) bail, while no bail was demanded for Escaria, who will be barred from travelling abroad, the court said. Others were named formal suspects in the investigation but were not detained, including Infrastructure Minister Joao Galamba, and head the environment agency APA, Nuno Lacasta.

Persons: Antonio Costa, Prosecutors, Vitor Escaria, Diogo Lacerda Machado, Costa's, Lacerda Machado, Joao Galamba, Nuno Lacasta, Costa, Catarina Demony, Andrei Khalip, Aislinn Laing Organizations: Escaria, Infrastructure Locations: LISBON, Lisbon

Portugal's Prime Minister and Socialist Party (PS) Secretary General Antonio Costa looks on after winning the general election in Lisbon, Portugal, January 31, 2022. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLISBON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Portugal's premier Antonio Costa, who resigned this week, told foreign investors on Saturday the country was open for business and wanted to remain attractive despite an ongoing corruption probe into "green" energy projects. Costa stepped down on Tuesday over an investigation into alleged illegalities in his government's handling of lithium and hydrogen projects, as well as a large-scale data centre. The data centre project, Start Campus, has been dubbed "one of the biggest foreign direct investments in Portugal in recent decades". The company said it was cooperating with authorities but that neither the company nor any of its staff were the targets of the investigation.

Persons: General Antonio Costa, Pedro Nunes, Antonio Costa, Costa, illegalities, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Afonso Salema, Joao Galamba, Vitor Escaria, embarrasses, Catarina Demony, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Portugal's, Socialist Party, REUTERS, Rights, Savannah Resources, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Lisbon, Portugal, Rights LISBON, London, Savannah, Portuguese

[1/4] Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa attends the informal meeting of European heads of state or government, in Granada, Spain October 6, 2023. REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLISBON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa resigned on Tuesday, just hours after prosecutors detained his chief of staff in a probe into alleged corruption in his administration's handling of lithium mining and hydrogen projects. Costa, who prosecutors said was the target of a separate investigation, announced the decision in a televised statement after meeting President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. Over 40 searches were carried out on Tuesday at several government buildings, including Escaria's office and the infrastructure and environment ministries, the prosecutor's office said. "At stake may be ... facts capable of constituting crimes of malfeasance, active and passive corruption of politicians and influence peddling," the prosecutor's office said.

Persons: Antonio Costa, Juan Medina, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Costa, Rebelo de Sousa, Vitor Escaria, Joao Galamba, Nuno Lacasta, Catarina Demony, Patricia Rua, Sergio Goncalves, Andrei Khalip, Emelia Organizations: Portugal's, REUTERS, Rights, Costa's Socialists, of State, TAP, APA, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Granada, Spain, Rights LISBON, Portuguese, Costa, Portugal, Sines

Search resuls for: "Escaria"

3 mentions found