Judge refuses to start trial of Sócrates and Santos Silva

The judge in the secondary trial of the Marquês Operation, focusing on former Prime Minister José Sócrates and businessman Carlos Santos Silva, has decided not to start the trial. Instead, the case will be sent to the main trial due to an "objective and subjective" connection between the two cases. Judge Rúben Vieira emphasized that merging the trials is essential for maintaining the coherence of the justice system. Both the defendants and the Public Prosecutor had previously supported this solution, despite the main trial judge's earlier refusal to combine the cases. The judge noted that the early stage of the current trial and the need for significant evidence gathering in the corruption case justify considering a joint assessment of the facts without delaying the proceedings excessively.