Luís Neves, former national director of the Judicial Police, became Minister of Internal Administration in February 2026, but over the following months found himself involved in a series of controversies that threaten his political future and call into question the Government of Luís Montenegro. The investigations initially focused on a trailer seized as part of Operation Pacoba, an anti-drug trafficking operation, which ended up at the facilities of a company linked to João Carvalho, a contractor who carried out works on the minister's property in the Alentejo. The PJ found no document or order justifying the relocation of the trailer, and the Attorney General's Office opened an investigation to clarify the case.
The investigation quickly expanded to other issues. Suspicions of possible abuse of power and embezzlement arose, and it was revealed that Luís Neves failed to submit, within the legal deadlines, income and property declarations for the period when he headed the PJ, which led the Constitutional Court to censure the minister. The European Public Prosecutor's Office also opened an investigation into contracts between the PJ and Construbarcelos, while the Ministry of Justice, led by Rita Alarcão Júdice, ordered an audit of the Judicial Police. The Court of Auditors also announced that it would oversee Luís Neves for alleged financial infractions, including expenses and trips without supporting documentation.
The case turned into a political crisis when Chega, the party of André Ventura, advanced with a censure motion against the Government and announced a parliamentary inquiry committee into Luís Neves's tenures at the PJ. The party argues that the prime minister should have dismissed the Minister of Internal Administration. Luís Neves reacted firmly, stating that he does not allow himself to be intimidated and that the Government has an experienced minister, attacking what he classified as the "politics of fear" and populism on the part of Chega. The censure motion is scheduled for September 8, but depends on the votes of the PS to be approved.
