The president of the Liberal Initiative (IL) this Saturday criticized Rui Rio for “questioning justice” and said he would like to see the parties “clearer” about their practices and fewer attacks on justice.
“Of course I don’t want justice to be instrumentalized by the Public Prosecution Service (MP), but I am also not satisfied when I see politicians questioning justice as it happened yesterday (Friday),” said Rui Rocha in Peso da Régua, referring to the interview the former PSD chairman gave to SIC.
Rui Rio accused the MP of “political interference” by ordering searches of his residence and the national headquarters of the PSD last Wednesday, insisting on the urgent need for judicial reform.
“Because what is done immediately after a speech like Rui Rio’s is the use already made by people linked to the PS to devalue all the situations that happened,” said Rui Rocha, who said he prefers to think that “justice does work”.
Regarding the reform of the judiciary in Rio, the IL leader referred to what is known, for example an “attempt to politicize the higher judiciary councils”, and stressed that he defends an “independent justice” and “does not condone the politicization of the justice”.
On Wednesday, the Judicial Police (PJ) mobilized about 100 inspectors and experts to search the home of former PSD president Rui Rio and the party’s national headquarters, alleging crimes of embezzlement and abuse of power.
It involves using funds intended to pay parliamentary advisers to pay party officials between 2018 and 2022.
“However, there is one thing that Rui Rio may be right about, and that is, from the comments I have heard in recent days, seems to be common practice among various parties”, he emphasized.
He added: “It seems to be an old practice, from old parties and that’s why I’m looking at this and it seems to me that if it’s true that Rui Rio and the PSD are being investigated for some sort of practice of this nature, maybe other parties did as well and I still haven’t heard anyone deny it”.
“I can guarantee that the IL, for its part, with regard to funds received from the Assembly of the Republic (AR), these funds are used for work in favor of the work of the AR and therefore I would prefer it that the parties be clearer about their practices and less to attack justice, because I don’t think there is any benefit to politics in Portugal,” he underlined.
Asked if there is a need to clarify party funding law, Rui Rocha said he was considering the “current law is clear enough”.
“The interpretation of the law is clear, which is that the money received from the AR should be used to pay for the work done for the AR. So beyond that it seems to me there is no major issue to discuss . As others and apparently different voices are beginning to sound saying that there are old common practices, returning in another sense, because they are the ones who have to justify”.
Rui Rocha felt that Rio’s impassioned and very assertive speech is “a bit out of place” and so the former PSD leader “was always much more adept at opposing the media and the MP” than António Costa and the PS government.
The president of the Liberal Initiative ends this Saturday a two-day tour of the neighborhood of Vila Real, as part of the Liberal Route initiative.
Source: DN
