The Portuguese Minister of the Interior, Luis Neves, has for several weeks been at the heart of a series of controversies linked to the period during which he headed the Judicial Police between 2018 and 2026.
The pressure has increased further in recent days after the announcement on Thursday by the Ministry of Justice of a control procedure for the PJ, including an internal evaluation and an audit.
This evaluation must in particular examine “the questions recently revealed by the media concerning the internal functioning of the PJ,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice told AFP.
Luis Neves welcomed this decision, saying he was “absolutely calm” and considered it desirable that these procedures be carried out so that “the whole truth comes to light”.
The minister is also the subject of proceedings before the Court of Auditors, linked to the financial management of the PJ. An audit revealed several irregularities. Luis Neves disputes this version, and claims to have himself “requested the intervention of the Court of Auditors”.
The minister is also accused of work carried out on a family property by a company which had obtained contracts from the PJ during his mandate.
Another case also concerns a trailer seized in an anti-drug operation entrusted to the same company. The public prosecutor has already opened an investigation.
The opposition reacted strongly. The far-right Chega party said in a statement that Prime Minister Luis Montenegro has “completely lost control of the situation,” and called for the departure of Luis Neves.
The leader of the socialist parliamentary group, Eurico Brilhante Dias, for his part judged on Friday that the situation concerning the minister had “reached the limit of the admissible”, inviting Mr. Montenegro to “put his government in order” and to “make difficult decisions”.
For his part, Portuguese President José Seguro welcomed the opening of these investigations, calling for “rapid results” in order to preserve “the rule of law and democratic institutions”.
