Former Prime Minister António Costa reiterated today that he remains entirely unaware of the details regarding the “Operação Influencer” legal case, firmly refusing to comment on recently publicized wiretaps concerning a conversation with consultant Diogo Lacerda Machado about a data center project in Sines.
Speaking in Braga after participating in the 50th-anniversary celebration of the International Relations degree at the University of Minho, Costa maintained that he has never had access to the case file despite requesting it on multiple occasions. He emphasized that as he does not know the content of the investigation, he cannot comment on the reported wiretaps.
The controversy stems from a report by TVI/CNN, which claims to have accessed the case file showing that Costa spoke with his friend Lacerda Machado about the Start Campus project in Sines.
This disclosure contradicts the version presented by the former prime minister in November 2023, when he publicly assured that he had “never, under any circumstances” discussed the Start Campus project with Lacerda Machado. According to the reporting, the Judiciary Police possesses a wiretap from a conversation held on Christmas Eve 2022, in which the consultant informed the then-prime minister about the “extraordinary dynamics” of the Sines project.
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In that recorded conversation, Costa acknowledged that Lacerda Machado had brought positive news to Vítor Escária, his then-chief of staff, regarding the project. Lacerda Machado reportedly noted that American investors were finally committing to Sines, to which Costa replied that it was good for them to be enthusiastic, given that the European environment was quite diverse regarding American interests.
This specific interaction has drawn renewed public attention due to the discrepancy with Costa’s previous statements regarding his involvement and awareness of the private consultant’s activities.
Operation Influencer, which began in November 2023 with the detention and subsequent release of five individuals including Vítor Escária, involves suspicions of criminal activity related to the construction of a data center in Sines, lithium exploration in Montalegre and Boticas, and green hydrogen production in Sines.
The investigation was the catalyst for the collapse of António Costa’s government. Although he was named as a suspect in the proceedings, Costa was never formally constituted as a defendant by the judiciary, and he currently serves as the President of the European Council.
