Luís Neves drives seized car to Xuxas. Transfer by PJ "is completely illegal"
CNN Portugal27 August 2026 at 20:20
A car seized by the Judicial Police, belonging to José Eduardo dos Santos (known as Xuxa), was handed over to Luís Neves, current director of the Counter-Terrorism Coordination Unit, who reportedly drove it during government functions. The former president of the Bar Association, Fernanda de Oliveira Frazão, classifies the transfer of seized assets to ministries by police forces as "completely illegal," emphasizing that the law is clear about the impossibility of transferring these assets to political entities. An former PSP official responsible for criminal investigation also confirms that the legislation is "unequivocal" in prohibiting the transfer of seized vehicles to politicians. Conversely, the PJ argues that the entire operation took place within the bounds of legality.
Socialist João Soares criticized at the PSD Summer University the comparison between José Luís Carneiro and André Ventura, classifying it as "an indecency", but defended Minister Luís Neves from what he considered a "miserable campaign" against him.
The national director of Portugal's Public Security Police (PSP), Luís Neves, used a vehicle that had been seized by the Judicial Police in 2022 from the drug trafficker known as "Xuxas." The car began being used by Luís Neves while he was still the national director of the PSP, and after his transition to the position of Minister of Internal Administration in the current Government, he requisitioned the same vehicle again for his personal use, continuing to use it currently.
New reports from the National Statistics Institute and the Bank of Portugal, revealing inflation of 3% and mortgage interest rates of 3.1%, are shaping the debate on the State Budget in Lisbon. The Ministry of Finance needs to calibrate public expenditure rigorously, while PSD, the governing party, advocates fiscal rigor and progressive tax reduction, PS demands priority investment in health and education with an 18% increase in public investment, and Chega is imposing strict conditions for immediate tax relief for the middle class. The budgetary surplus of 0.7% at the start of the year gives the Executive some breathing room, but the opposition demands that this financial slack reach citizens quickly.
The general secretary of the PS, José Luís Carneiro, called for more democratic humility from the Government, also emphasizing the importance of foreign workers for the Portuguese economy.
