Residence of Portuguese PM Costa raided by police, chief of cabinet detained

The searches in Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa’s residence and two ministries, as well as several detentions, are part of an ongoing investigation into irregularities committed in the concession for the exploitation of lithium deposits and green hydrogen projects.

Police conducted around 40 searches on Tuesday (7 November), including the Prime Minister’s official residence, the São Bento Palace, and the Ministries of Infrastructure and Environment and Climate Action.

The Prime Minister’s chief of cabinet, Vítor Escária, and businessman Diogo Lacerda Machado, a close friend of Costa tasked with TAP airline nationalisation, have been detained.

The actions are part of an investigation into lithium exploration projects in Montalegre, Público reported.

The investigation also looks at the alleged favourable treatment of Portuguese companies EDP, Galp and REN to exploit a green hydrogen business in Sines, the large industrial hub created around the port that is moving from the polluting factories of the past to decarbonised ones, El País reported.

The mayor of Sines, the socialist Nuno Mascarenhas, has also been detained, as well as two company executives.

The ministers for the environment, Duarte Cordeiro, and for infrastructures, João Galamba, as well as the former environment minister, João Pedro Matos Fernandes, will be constituted as persons of interest in the investigations.

Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, received the prime minister this Tuesday morning at the Belém Palace in Lisbon, at the latter’s request, a source from the Presidency told Euractiv’s partner Lusa.