Vítor Escária, the former chief-of-staff of PS leader António Costa, in whose office over €75,000 was found, divided up into several envelopes and stored inside books, is finding it very difficult to get the money back.
It was seized as part of searches of the then prime minister’s official residence, carried out under the auspices of Operation Influencer.
Influencer brought the government down; the PM talked of his feeling of ‘betrayal’ over the discover of the envelopes; there was the added confusion of a pen-drive also found in Mr Escária’s office (containing the names of secret service agents), and Mr Escária, along with a number of others, was cited as ‘an official suspect’ (arguido).
Since then however very little appears to have moved forward on Influencer, and Vítor Escária has landed a plum job at the superior institute of management. Nothing was said about his political life in the note about his appointment – but clearly he wants to get possession of his money again. And this is what is proving difficult.
In July, a criminal investigating judge refused to return the money “on the grounds that there was evidence of undue receipt of advantage” (pretty much the focus of Influencer), and now appeal court judges have said much the same thing. In fact, a bit more this time: we learn that not only were the envelopes of money found, inside books, but “boxes of champagne”, which according to the judges raises a suspicion of criminal activity, “especially if the target of the searches cannot explain (the) origin”.
Initially, recalls SIC, regarding the discovery of the wads of cash, “António Costa’s former chief of staff said that only part of the money belonged to him”. He later changed his story, saying during his first official questioning that the €75,800 came from consultancy work in Angola.
There doesn’t seem to have been a lot of publically-aired questions on the boxes of champagne.
Vítor Escária remains a defendant in Operation Influencer, even though earlier this week the Public Prosecutor’s Office closed the investigation for breach of state secrecy – over the discovery of the pen-drive with the names and details of security agents on it.
Source material: SIC Notícias
