Former Prime Minister António Costa was heard on Friday by the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) as part of Operation Influencer, which triggered a political crisis that led to the resignation of the official and the calling of elections.

According to what SIC Notícias found out from a source linked to the process, António Costa was questioned for an hour and a half at his request.

While he was being heard, Costa revealed that he was "shocked" by the discovery of more than 75 thousand euros that were hidden in the office of Vítor Escária, then chief of staff of the Prime Minister.

The same source said that Costa assured the MP that he did not commit any crime of prevarication to benefit the companies investigated in Operation Influencer.

António Costa announced in April that he had ordered the submission of a request to the Public Prosecutor's Office to be heard "as quickly as possible". The document was formally submitted on April 2. However, the MP decided not to wait for the end of the deadline referred to by the Code of Criminal Procedure in these situations.

Lawyers for the former prime minister have meanwhile told Lusa that Costa "provided all the clarifications requested by the Public Prosecutor's Office, was not constituted as a defendant" and "remains, as until now, fully available to collaborate in everything that the Public Prosecutor's Office deems necessary".

"Dr. António Costa was heard today as a declarant, following the request he submitted on April 2, 2024", they also said.

The former Minister of Infrastructure, João Galamba, who was constituted as a defendant, also asked to be heard in this investigation, the day after being the target of house searches. However, so far, he has not had any response from the Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action.

Recall Operation Influencer

The previous legislature was interrupted following the resignation of Prime Minister António Costa, after it was made public that he was the target of a judicial inquiry instituted by the Public Prosecutor's Office in the Supreme Court of Justice from the so-called Operation Influencer.

This judicial process is related to the production of energy from hydrogen in Sines, Setúbal, and to the project to build a data center in the industrial and logistics zone of Sines by Start Campus.

The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, immediately accepted the prime minister's resignation and two days later announced to the country the dissolution of parliament and the calling of elections, which were held on March 10, giving the majority to PSD/CDS-PP/PPM.

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