Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has unexpectedly and suddenly resigned following police raids on government buildings as part of a corruption investigation.
The raids also concerned potential "influence peddling," and law enforcement officials issued an arrest warrant for Costa's chief of staff. The prime minister has been in the position since 2015, and he noted that he was surprised to learn that he would become the subject of criminal proceedings.
Portuguese Prime Minister Resigns
Costa also said that no illicit act weighs on his conscience but believes that the dignity of the office of the prime minister is not compatible with any suspicion of a person. This is the reason that he gave for stepping down from the position.
The development comes after a judge authorized police officials to search 37 locations, including the office of Costa chief of staff, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Infrastructure, a City Council office in Sines, and several private homes.
The inquiry concerns lithium exploration concessions in northern Portugal and a hydrogen-energy production plant and data center in Sines. While the authorization did not name the prime minister, it noted that arrest warrants were issued for the head of the prime minister's office, as per the New York Times.
This was identified as Vitor Escaria, and the warrant also affected the mayor of Sines and three other individuals. Portugal's minister of infrastructure and the head of the country's Environmental Agency were also named as suspects in the statement.
The prosecutor's office noted that the robe showed that the suspects in the case had invoked Costa's name and authority to "unblock procedures" about the exploration concessions. The Southern European country is known to have significant reserves of lithium, which is an essential ingredient in electric car batteries and renewable energy.
Costa is the leader of the Socialist Party, and he first took office eight years ago despite losing an election because he persuaded two smaller left-wing parties to support him. At the time, the alliance faced ridicule for being a "geringonca," or "contraption."
Corruption Investigation
Now, it is up to Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to decide whether or not to allow Costa's Socialists to form a new government or to dissolve parliament and call for an election. The group's president, Carlos Cesar, said that his party was prepared for "any scenario," while the leader of the main opposition Social Democrats, Luis Montenegro, said that he was ready for an early election, according to Reuters.
The country's president said that he would meet representatives of the political parties represented in the Portuguese parliament on Wednesday. He also noted that he would be speaking to the nation after the Council of State gathers on Thursday.
During Costa's resignation announcement, he was teary while thanking his family for their support. He added that he trusts the nation's justice system and acknowledged that not even he was above the law, said the Associated Press.
