Former Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates and his associate Carlos Santos Silva are set to stand trial for money laundering as part of the mini-trial within the Operation Marquês investigation. However, charges for document forgery have been dropped due to the statute of limitations. A judge from the Central Criminal Investigation Court ruled that half of the crimes they were accused of have already expired.
The judge upheld the prosecution's argument that money allegedly 'loaned' by the businessman to the former socialist leader actually belonged to José Sócrates and was derived from corruption. Furthermore, the magistrate has decided that the trial for these offenses should be conducted within the main Operation Marquês process, rather than in a separate trial.
Operation Marquês has been one of Portugal's most high-profile corruption investigations.
The case highlights the ongoing scrutiny of political figures in Portugal and the legal system's efforts to address corruption at the highest levels.
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