Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa apologized to the country’s people on Saturday, expressing embarrassment for the corruption probe launched against himself and several members of his administration.
Costa said he felt betrayed when he learned that authorities had found tens of thousands of euros in envelopes in the office of his chief of staff, Vítor Escária, during a police raid of the prime minister’s official residence on Tuesday.
“It is something that embarrasses me and I have a duty to apologize,” Costa said in a televised speech.
Costa, who resigned on Tuesday but will remain the country’s caretaker prime minister until snap elections are held in March 2024, said that Portugal continued to be a place where it was safe for foreigners to invest.
Authorities are investigating possible acts of corruption, influence peddling and malfeasance in connection with the concession of lithium mining projects in the north of the country, a green hydrogen mega-project, and a data center in Sines.
While expressing respect for the ongoing corruption investigation, Costa defended his government’s right to make strategic investments in projects aimed at spurring development and said that his administration had always acted “in strict compliance with the law” while “promoting regional development, removing bureaucracy and boosting transparency.”
“Future Portuguese governments must be guaranteed the freedom of political action to pursue legitimate strategies,” he said.
