Portugal’s PM António Costa Resigns Over Alleged Corruption


Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa addresses the nation following a meeting with with Portugal's president at Sao Bento Palace in Lisbon on May 3, 2019. - Portugal's socialist prime minister Antonio Costa today threatened to quit if parliament approves a law which would end a freeze on teachers' salaries, saying it would cause public spending to ballon. (Photo by CARLOS COSTA / AFP) (Photo credit should read CARLOS COSTA/AFP via Getty Images)
(Photo credit should read CARLOS COSTA/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN’s James Meyers
2:51 PM – Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Portugal’s Prime Minister has resigned after accusations of involvement in alleged corruption. 

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Brazilian federal police investigated five different locations on Tuesday, including the Portuguese Consulate Antonio Costa in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as part of its corruption investigation. 

Portuguese public prosecutors and security agents accompanied the Brazilian officers, saying on Tuesday that they were investigating concessions awarded for lithium mining and hydrogen production. 

Portuguese authorities were also investigating alleged corruption and falsification of documents in collusion with applicants seeking visas and Portuguese citizenships, according to a statement by prosecutors. 

Additionally, the prosecutors said that the detention warrants were issued for five people in Brazil, including Costa’s chief of staff, Vitor Escaria. 

This comes after several corruption-related raids have taken place in Portugal. Almost 150 detectives have searched 17 residential properties and 25 other premises thus far.

Portuguese prosecutors have been probing alleged corruption and influence peddling in lithium mining concessions in northern Portugal and a hydrogen production project.

However, the federal police’s press office said that the searches in Brazil were unrelated to the raids in Portugal and are not related to Costa’s resignation.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa commented on the investigation, saying that he accepted the prime minister’s resignation. 

According to reports, the president of Portugal will be summoning political parties in order to come to a decision on who will fill the vacant role. 

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