Portugal’s attorney general opens investigation into PM’s family business

Lisbon: The attorney general announced on Wednesday that the Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a preventive investigation into the prime minister and Luís Montenegro’s family company, Spinumviva.

As he left the Supreme Court of Justice in Lisbon, where a criminal law colloquium is taking place, Amadeu Guerra explained that three complaints relating to the prime minister’s family business had been received.

“From the details we have collected so far, there are no grounds to open any inquiry,” said the Attorney General, adding that precisely because of the lack of details, it was decided to open a preventive inquiry.

This preventive enquiry aims to assess whether there are details to proceed with the opening of an inquiry and it is being led by the Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DCIAP).

Amadeu Guerra did not set any deadlines and explained that the preventive enquiry will be based on information obtained from open sources and that data will be requested from various entities.

“These are not intrusive means,” he added.

Last week, the Attorney General’s Office announced that it had received an anonymous complaint.

The information comes a day after the government’s fall, following the rejection of the motion of confidence presented by Luís Montenegro’s government, and the day the president of Portugal talked to the political parties with parliamentary seats at the Belém Palace to discuss the political crisis and the scenario of snap elections.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa had signalled that if the motion of confidence was rejected, causing the government to fall, the “electoral calendar” would point to mid-May.

The head of state has never explicitly referred to bringing forward the legislative elections. Still, after having dissolved the parliament about a year ago, following the resignation of the previous prime minister, António Costa, in the wake of the Influencer case, he let it be known that he would opt for the same solution again this time.

When it became clear that the motion of confidence would be rejected, as it would on Tuesday, the president promised to act as quickly as possible, calling the parties together the following day and the Council of State two days later, the two constitutionally obligatory steps before any dissolution of parliament.

Marcelo considered it essential that “the economy, society and people’s lives continue”, in a period that will not be “longer than two months” and “even before what may be normal local and presidential elections”. However, he expressed concern about bringing forward the elections in a scenario of international crisis.

The head of state receive delegations from the PSD, PS, Chega, IL, BE, PCP, Livre and PAN in Belém between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., with whom he discussed the political crisis and the date of the next legislative elections.

The Council of State has been called for Thursday.

The political crisis was triggered about a month ago after news about a family company owned by the prime minister, Spinumviva, led to two motions of censure by Chega and the PCP, both of which were rejected. Faced with the parties’ continued doubts, the prime minister announced the presentation of a motion of confidence, which was rejected on Tuesday and led to the government’s fall.