Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa apologized to the nation’s individuals on Saturday, expressing embarrassment for the corruption probe launched in opposition to himself and a number of other members of his administration.
Costa mentioned he felt betrayed when he discovered that authorities had discovered tens of 1000’s of euros in envelopes within the workplace of his chief of workers, Vítor Escária, throughout a police raid of the prime minister’s official residence on Tuesday.
“It’s one thing that embarrasses me and I’ve an obligation to apologize,” Costa mentioned in a televised speech.
Costa, who resigned on Tuesday however will stay the nation’s caretaker prime minister till snap elections are held in March 2024, mentioned that Portugal continued to be a spot the place it was protected for foreigners to take a position.
Authorities are investigating potential acts of corruption, affect peddling and malfeasance in reference to the concession of lithium mining initiatives within the north of the nation, a inexperienced hydrogen mega-project, and an information middle in Sines.
Whereas expressing respect for the continued corruption investigation, Costa defended his authorities’s proper to make strategic investments in initiatives geared toward spurring improvement and mentioned that his administration had all the time acted “in strict compliance with the regulation” whereas “selling regional improvement, eradicating paperwork and boosting transparency.”
“Future Portuguese governments should be assured the liberty of political motion to pursue respectable methods,” he mentioned.