Former Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates arrived at court this Thursday to be heard as part of Operation Marquis, the judicial proceedings investigating suspicions of corruption, tax fraud, and money laundering related to his term in office.
It was José Sócrates himself who asked to be heard again, almost a year after his last statements in court. This willingness to speak publicly coincides with the moment when the case is approaching a decisive phase.
Operation Marquis is one of the most high-profile judicial proceedings in Portugal, also involving other defendants and focused on alleged financial irregularities during the period when Sócrates was Prime Minister, between 2005 and 2011.
Sócrates' defense has been asserting their client's innocence, while the Public Prosecutor's Office maintains the charges against the former politician in this case.
