Status: 09.11.2023, 21:11 PM
By: Felix Durach, Bona Hyun
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Following the resignation of Portugal's head of government Costa, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has announced new elections for next year.
Update from November 9, 21:10 p.m.: Portugal's president announces new elections for March 2024.
Corruption scandal in Portugal: Prime Minister Costa resigns
First reported on 7 November:
Lisbon – Portugal's Prime Minister António Costa has submitted his resignation. Because of doubts about his "integrity", he offered his resignation to the president, Costa said on Tuesday (7 November). He justified his move in a short statement with investigations by the judiciary on suspicion of corruption in his government. Corruption investigators had previously searched several ministries and the official residence of the socialist head of government in Lisbon.
Portugal's Prime Minister Costa resigns - because of corruption scandal
Costa stressed that President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa had accepted his resignation. The office of head of government is incompatible with the accusations made, the socialist said. But his conscience is clear. Police in Portugal had searched numerous homes and offices, including the Costas residence, in the morning.
The Portuguese head of government has surprisingly handed in © his resignation Ana Brigida/dpa
According to media reports, five people were arrested, including Costa's chief of staff, Vítor Escaría. It is about the suspicion of illegal practices such as bribery and taking advantage in the awarding of concessions for lithium mining in Montalegre as well as the production of so-called green hydrogen in the city of Sines, the state news agency Lusa and the state TV station RTP reported.
Portugal's head of government Costa surprisingly submits resignation
In addition to the head of the cabinet, the detainees are the influential entrepreneur Diogo Lacerda and the mayor of Sines, Nuno Mascarenhas, as well as two other businessmen, RTP and Lusa reported. A total of 40 homes and offices were searched, including the ministries of infrastructure and the environment. What exactly the detainees are accused of was not initially known. Infrastructure Minister Joao Galamba and Environment Minister Duarte Cordeiro, as well as his predecessor in office, João Pedro Matos Fernandes, are listed as suspects.
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After the searches became known, Lusa and RTP reported that Costa had cancelled appointments for Tuesday and immediately met with the president. (bohy/fedu with agencies)