The Prime Minister stated today that the money found in envelopes in the office of his former chief of staff Vítor Escária caused him pain due to the betrayed trust, embarrassed him and apologized to the Portuguese.
This position regarding his former chief of staff Vítor Escária, detained on Tuesday for interrogation, was conveyed by António Costa at the beginning of his communication to the country, in São Bento.
“Without wanting to replace myself with justice, which I trust and respect, I cannot help but share with my fellow citizens that the seizure of envelopes with money in the office of a person I chose to work with, more than hurts me due to the betrayed trust , I am ashamed in front of the Portuguese and I have a duty to apologize to the Portuguese”, he declared.
Vítor Escária, who began serving as the Prime Minister's chief of staff in 2020, was detained for questioning on Tuesday and during judicial searches of his office at the official residence in São Bento, 75.800 euros in cash were seized.
A few hours later, the Prime Minister dismissed Vítor Escária from the duties of his chief of staff and appointed Major General Tiago Vasconcelos, until now António Costa's military advisor, to this position.
Faced with this case, on Thursday, the prime minister stated that he decided to fire his chief of staff, Vítor Escária, as soon as he learned that judicial investigators had found cash at his place of work, in São Bento.
“No, I didn’t know that. And as soon as I knew I did what was obviously necessary, which was to fire him”, António Costa declared to journalists at the entrance to the PS Political Commission meeting, in Lisbon.
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