Socrates: "I am the judge of my own initiative."

"I am the judge of my own initiative," José Sócrates said this Sunday in an interview with CNN Portugal. The former prime minister is on trial for 22 crimes under Operation Marquês and argued that the complaint against the Portuguese State at the European Court of Human Rights and the refusal to file a complaint against the Attorney General's Office are part of his defense strategy against what he calls a "judicial coup." The last session of the trial before the court recess was on July 15th, and the session is scheduled to resume on September 2nd.

"I'm in this trial under protest; I still have a legal dispute ongoing," stated Sócrates, who complains about what he calls "a second trial." "It's not possible to change the accusation seven years later. It's an accusation made treacherously, unexpectedly . In 2017, they accused me of one thing, seven years later, they accused me of another," says the former prime minister. When asked if the actions are an attack, Sócrates responds: "I don't have an attack strategy, I have a defense strategy. I will defend myself whether the judges like it or not . I am the judge of my own initiative."

Regarding the defense's refusal to comply with the PGR, Sócrates explains that "the prosecutor said what he said, and I felt I should protest to the appropriate person: the Supreme Court of Justice." However, the defendant in Operation Marquês questions the Superior Court of Justice's decision to reject the request. "Instead of censuring the prosecutor, who violated the law, they fine me. We live in a society of humiliation . The new state violence is violence that seeks to humiliate, mistreat, and curse." Displaying a document containing the European directive on the presumption of innocence, Sócrates recalls the complaint filed with the European court. "I'm being tried for the second time," he complains. "What doesn't exist in Portugal are the guarantees of defense. All constitutional guarantees are being denied ," the former prime minister further asserts, adding that "the clerical error is a judicial coup to force me to a second trial."

Sócrates also addressed the controversial interactions with the press outside the courthouse. "I accepted your invitation because I feel like the coverage of the trial had more to do with my temperament and my disagreements with the judge than with the substance," the former prime minister explained. "The press also covered the case this way during these five days because, in two of the main accusations, the PT issue and the TGV issue, the truth is that no stone was left unturned," he further claims.

Speaking directly about the accusations against him, José Sócrates reiterated his defense in court, presenting the same "evidence" presented at trial. Regarding the wiretaps presented in court as proof of his friendship with Ricardo Salgado , Sócrates said he didn't have the then-president of BES's phone number, didn't know where his home was, never visited his office, and that it's "not true" that he was his friend . "As everyone knows, addressing people as 'my dear friend' is a colloquial expression," he explained. "He was going through a very difficult time, and I offered him a kind word , as I do with everyone who is in difficulty."

Sócrates also cited the ruling from the Secretary of State for Finance , who previously cited his smoking gun in court , as "proof that what the Public Prosecutor's Office claims is untrue." The former prime minister also reread part of a witness's testimony , which led to a confrontation with Judge Susana Seca during one of the court sessions. Sócrates claims that the witness, a government representative in the case, "never saw a mandate letter with a stated vote." Regarding the money transfers that allegedly ended up in José Sócrates' hands, after passing through intermediaries such as Francisco Canas (the now-deceased owner of a currency exchange bureau in Baixa), businessman Hélder Bataglia, and his cousin José Paulo Pinto de Sousa, Sócrates argues that these are "private transactions" that "have nothing to do with what happened during the takeover bid."

Sócrates also mentioned Carlos Santos Silva's money transfers . "I never wanted, nor have I ever accepted, a relationship with Carlos Santos Silva being confused with an employment relationship," he explains, confirming that he received money from his friend . "I didn't want that to be misinterpreted. It's not a crime. At the time my friend made me those loans, I wasn't involved in politics, and it had been more than two years since I left the government. Therefore, I was completely free to have whatever relationships I wanted with those close to me," stated the former Socialist Party leader, adding that the loans were not passed through the banking system so as not to be "confused with an employment relationship." "Illegality must be described in the penal code," says Sócrates. " I returned it, " he concludes.

José Sócrates also defended himself against accusations that he attempted to advance the TGV tender. " Is advancing tenders a crime? It's not. But that's false," he began by saying. The former Socialist Party leader also reiterated the claim that he pressured and altered the rules of the procedure to ensure the inclusion of a compensation clause for the consortium in the event of a possible refusal by the TdC to approve the project—as ultimately occurred, claiming over 150 million euros. "Do you think a prime minister would deal with contract clauses that are thousands of pages long? The idea that the prime minister inserts a clause into a contract is childish ," he said. However, he concluded by arguing that the aforementioned clause was approved by the tender jury, which deemed it "legal, fair, rational, and beneficial for both parties": "It wasn't approved by politics; it was approved by the jury."

Sócrates ended the interview by responding to an accusation that a PSP officer had refused to greet him. "That never happened. I never tried to greet any officer, because I don't do that . When I pass by people, I say good morning or good afternoon. I'm not looking for companionship with anyone, nor am I on an election campaign. I don't shake hands with people I don't know ," the former prime minister stated. "I've already given up on challenging all the lies people say about me."