António Costa responded in this way to the question posed to him during an interview with TVI about the case of Portuguese-Brazilian twins treated in Portugal with one of the most expensive drugs in the world, in connection with which the President of the Republic confirmed Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa that he had received an email from his son Nuno, which he followed up in a letter to the government.
When asked if he knew that his former Secretary of State for Health Lacerda Sales had met with the son of the President of the Republic, the leader of the executive replied that this was not the case and said that he only heard about this matter via the TVI Reports, which began airing on November 3.
“I now went to see what had happened. Indeed, a letter arrived from the Presidency of the Republic and a series of six letters were forwarded to the Ministry of Health, one relating to that case and five relating to other cases,” he said. said.
Afterwards, the Prime Minister was asked whether the fact that the investigation at the Public Prosecution Service was opened on the same day that the case against him, from Operation Influencer, became known, was a coincidence for him.
“Well, I can only understand it as a coincidence. Do you have any idea that it isn’t?”, the executive leader responded, addressing journalist Nuno Santos.
Nuno Santos responded that he is just asking questions and the Prime Minister noted: “Listen, I’m not into conspiracy theories and it doesn’t occur to me that it’s not a pure coincidence.”
“I mean, let’s see, this case was covered on TVI. I believe it was four days before the announcement that forced me to resign. If the place opened on that day, I can only consider it a coincidence. If not, if it was a coincidence, we were in a scenario that we had better not think about,” he emphasized.
When asked about the worst moment he had in his eight years as Prime Minister, António Costa mentioned June 17, 2017.”
“It was the most terrible moment I have ever experienced, of helplessness, of drama. I arrived in Pedrógão the next day, the bodies were still in the vehicles, I will never forget what I saw, the smell, that whole feeling. “was the worst day of my life as Prime Minister and I was confronted with a feeling of powerlessness in the face of a natural phenomenon of terrible proportions. Worse than Covid-19,” he said.
When asked if he had ever met with former foreign minister, lawyer and his friend Diogo Lacerda Machado, who was held for questioning under Operation Influencer: “He is my friend. I know a lot of people misunderstood when I said I was an unhappy expression in best friend. Luckily he knew exactly what I wanted to say,” he emphasized.
When asked if he knew that today is the President of the Republic’s birthday, António Costa said he did not remember and characterized himself as bad at birthdays.
“I’m glad you remember, because I’ll call you as soon as possible to congratulate you.”
Only once did I call him practically at midnight and he said that good congratulations are given only in the early morning, and not at the end of the night,” he revealed.
As for his professional future after giving up political positions, the Prime Minister said he still doesn’t know and hasn’t thought much about it.
“I practiced a profession before I entered political life, I was a lawyer for more than ten years. And I really enjoyed being a lawyer. It is not easy for those who have been in political life for years to return turning to the legal profession, because The type of law that is being asked for is easy. Anyone who has not practiced for so many years is a kind of law that I do not want to do,” he explained.
He then noted that political life is not just about holding political office.
“I did not say that I would leave politics, I said that I would not hold public office. I intend to have opinions, I can write for newspapers, I can go to demonstrations, I can go to rallies,” stressed he.
When asked if he would admit to being a commentator, he again replied: “I don’t think I should.”
“Whoever has been prime minister must show some restraint and modesty when commenting on who is next,” he explained.
Still talking about his professional future, he added: “I live from my work.” “So I have to get to work, I’m going to do that, with pleasure.”
Source: DN
