Portugal PM vows to defend honour over mall
Portugal's prime minister, Jose Socrates, is embroiled in an alleged corruption scandal over permission granted for a British development on protected land outside Lisbon.
Police searched the home of Mr Socrates's uncle this week in connection with the affair, which is said to have taken place when Mr Socrates was environment minister in a previous socialist government. Britain's Serious Fraud Office is said to be investigating the unexplained transfer of some 4m euros to bank accounts in Portugal at the time of the deal, press reports say.
Mr Socrates is alleged to have waived environmental restrictions in 2002, following intervention by his uncle and cousin, to grant the British company Freeport a licence to build the Alcochete mall or "village outlet", a gigantic emporium of designer shops south of the Portuguese capital.
The English royal family is reported to have a large stake in Freeport, which was taken over by the US conglomerate Carlyle in 2007.
Mr Socrates denies having misused his ministerial position to allow the shopping mall to go ahead, or having taken bribes from Freeport. In a rare television appearance at the weekend, he scorned the storm of media allegations, which was spearheaded by Lisbon weekly "Sol".
"The reports and the way they are presented are meant to target me personally and weaken me politically in an election year," Mr Socrates said. "Those who think they can beat me this way are wrong, because I'll fight to defend my honour, my integrity."
The Alcochete project was one of a number of major schemes that carved through Portugal's virgin lands, sometimes in defiance of environmental protection orders, in a drive to modernise the country.
The scandal has re-emerged at the worst possible moment for Mr Socrates, who faces general elections this autumn battered by the economic and financial crisis sweeping Portugal.
Environmental approval of the Freeport Outlet project met all legal requirements at the time, Mr Socrates said. He denied that the go-ahead, granted three days before general elections in 2002, was given with "unusual haste". The shopping complex, built in an environmental protection area along the Tagus estuary, needed cabinet approval for regulatory changes.
Ministers reportedly approved the changes just three days before the polls, which Antonio Guterres's Socialists lost to Jose Manuel Durao Barroso's conservative Social Democratic Party. Portugal's environment secretariat subsequently granted planning permission.
"I never gave any instructions to give the case urgent treatment," Mr Socrates insisted. "I reject all insinuations and slanderous allegations that involve my name regarding this case."
The media spotlight focuses on the prime minister's uncle and cousin, Julio and Hugo Monteiro. Hugo Monteiro is alleged to have held meetings with Charles Smith, a Scottish intermediary contracted by Freeport to ease the deal. Julio Monteiro is then said to have used his kinship with Mr Socrates to set up a meeting with the erstwhile environment minister for Mr Smith.
Mr Socrates vaguely recalls meeting Mr Smith in 2001, but "only to present to him the government's environmental requirements," after his ministry had twice blocked the building project. He says he has nothing to do with his uncle's business operations.
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Comments
After all it is not enough to say they are better( Maddie's case), they have to prove it.
The portuguese people are really anxious to see how this will end because we are fed up of corrupted politicians , bankers and so on, it's time to see justice!
You only need to look back at previous PSD leaders and current ones (island of Madeira) to see where corruption sits.
Cabala is such a dangerous animal that now it is manipulating British police! British police, aiming at having some presence in the Portguese parliment uses Cabala to achieve it's own objectives. Unbelivable! It's a shame. Is Gordon Brown also involved in this? Is Cabala doing some extra hours to provide Gordon Brown also a place in Portuguese Government? Face to this accusation we migh consider Yes!
Many fingers poiting from time to time at Socrates but still he goes on. Civil engineering projects approved in some hours or days, a diploma as an Engineer in some weeks and twisted laws (approved by the parliament and publsh by Portuguese Chief of State in months on a demissionary government! Oh, man, the guy is fantastic!
I vouch for every single word you wrote.
Congrats for being able to maintain a good sense of humor, while this country falls apart.
Personally, sometimes i find it quite hard to keep the good mood, regarding all the crap that's happening here.
I have the strong belief that we're surrounded by politicians, whose main priority is to (pardon my english) stuff their own backsides, and provide themselves and their families a nice life and even nicer future.
LOLOL
Recently he said in Portuguese Parliament that an OCDE study praised the Portuguese Education Model. Then it was found that it was not a OCDE study but a study paid by the Portuguese Government. Even confronted by the oposition with the truth he sustained the lie.
Do you se the picture?
He lied in Portuguese Parliament last week showing an OCDE study of Portuguese basic education that praised our schools. Even confronted by the opposition leader with documents proving it was not an OCDE study but a paid one by the Portuguese Government, even confronted with an OCDE statement denying it had made such a study he kept saying that what he said was the truth.
Any Psychiatrist can describe the pattern.