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Apr 9, 2021 12:16 PM
LISBON (Reuters) - A Portuguese judge on Friday dropped all corruption charges against former Prime Minister Jose Socrates who was arrested in 2014, but was yet to announce whether Socrates would stand trial on tax fraud accusations.
Judge Ivo Rosa of the country s top criminal court said accusations of corruption presented by prosecutors were weak, inconsistent or lacked sufficient evidence, while the statute of limitations had run out on some of them.
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Ex-Portuguese PM to stand trial for money laundering
By IANS |
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Lisbon, April 10 : Portugal s former Prime Minister Jose Socrates will be the country s first head of government to stand trial, having been indicted for money laundering and forgery of documents, according to a decision by Judge Ivo Rosa.
However, the magistrate on Friday withdrew the passive corruption charges from the Socrates trial, saying the facts against the accused are insufficient to uphold an indictment for passive corruption , reports Xinhua news agency
Socrates, who served as Prime Minister between 2005 and 2011, was accused in 2017 of 31 crimes of passive corruption, money laundering, forgery of documents, and tax fraud, in a process that has lasted seven years.
CORRECTED-UPDATE 2-Portugal ex-PM Socrates to face trial for alleged money laundering; graft charges dropped thesundaily.my - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thesundaily.my Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Catarina Demony
LISBON, April 9 (Reuters) - More than six years after his arrest in a major corruption investigation, Portugal s former Prime Minister Jose Socrates will stand trial, but only on lesser charges of money laundering and falsifying documents, a judge in Lisbon ruled on Friday.
In a decision that sent shockwaves through the country, Judge Ivo Rosa of Portugal s criminal court for preliminary hearings dismissed the corruption accusations against Socrates, 63, as weak, inconsistent or lacking sufficient evidence, and noted that the statute of limitations had run out on some of them. Prosecutors arguments are based on speculation and fantasy, he said while reading out his decision.