News magazine Sábado has been turning heads this week – mainly for having reproduced a number of wiretaps in the Operation Influencer investigation which toppled an absolute majority (Socialist) government over two years ago, yet appears to have been going nowhere ever since.
In an indignant reaction to Sábado’s revelations, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened criminal proceedings (on the basis that only ‘official suspects’ should have access to this level of information) – but the resulting furore has dealt (yet) another blow to the credibility of the investigation which hasn’t even formally interviewed some of its ‘official suspects’ – and which consistently refuses to give former prime minister António Costa access to any ‘case’ they may have against him.
Readers may recall that Mr Costa is not an official suspect in Operation Influencer, but there was a paragraph in the original statement from the Public Prosecutor’s Office that suggested he might have ‘facilitated’ certain matters which propelled his resignation – and a highly unusual press conference in which he told the country “this is the way governments do business”.
Now that Sábado has apparently released the wiretaps involving Mr Costa, his lawyers are saying that this shows that “there were never clear suspicions against the prime minister”, and that it is high time public prosecutors come clean over what they have been doing for the last two years…
Sábado’s story has also served to whip up mini-controversies – suggesting current Socialist leader José Luís Carneiro had tried to ‘get a job for a former mayor’, but Mr Carneiro has explained (a bit like Mr Costa in his unusual press conference) that ‘this is the way things are done in government…’
Nonetheless, a group that goes by the name of the Manifesto of 50 – a ‘civic group’ of personalities pushing for ‘reform in justice’, thinks the whole episode is “unbelievable”.
“Breaches of judicial confidentiality, with media coverage, undermine investigations and grossly violate the most basic rights of citizens,” it says – stressing that the disclosure of wiretaps offers “free of charge to public curiosity, facts that are not criminally relevant and that belong either to the sphere of government and the state or to the private lives of those wiretapped.”
Fernando Negrão, one of the 50 personalities and a former PSD MP, concedes that judicial confidentiality is constantly breached “but things are getting worse. We have seen unimaginable things – and this latest episode (…) is perfectly unbelievable”.
With all this brouhaha, one might think Sábado has already outdone itself for this week. But no, it has more: an illegal castration at the headquarters of right-wing party CHEGA.
The castration, performed “in a meeting room that served to receive journalists”, involved CHEGA leader António Ventura’s cat, António. It took place years ago (2021) – and António appears to have sailed through the experience . He is often featured by Mr Ventura on CHEGA social media pages – and there is nothing to suggest he suffered from the ‘illegality’ of the procedure in any way.
António is described by André Ventura as his “right arm” (in the form of support) Image: Facebook
The surgeon was CHEGA MP Pedro Frazão, who is a licensed veterinarian, explain reports.
Nonetheless, the story has not been seen as exemplary by the Order of Veterinarians which stresses that castrations can only be carried out in the ‘correct settings’ (political party headquarters not being one of these).
PAN MP Inês Sousa Real is also indignant: “If the news that MP Pedro Frazão sterilised the cat António at the party headquarters is proven to be true, it is extremely serious”, she told 24horas.pt.
Ms Sousa Real explained that Mr Frazão’s “ethical duties as a veterinary surgeon (…) require him to ensure the safety and well-being of António the cat” which she does not believe is what happened here: “because although everything went well, it could have gone badly”.
All in all, Sábado has outdone itself this week and will almost certainly sell a lot of copies.
Source material: Correio da Manhã/ ZAP/ 24.horas.pt
