The main defendant in the GES/BES case was one of the first to arrive at the Justice Campus in Lisbon. It was around 9:20 when Ricardo Salgado arrived, arm in arm with his wife and his lawyer, and was always supported on his way to the courthouse door. The journey was long and even exceeded the time that the former banker was in the courtroom, where he answered only nine personal questions asked by the group’s presiding judge, Helena Susano. The last one was interrupted by lawyer Francisco Proença de Carvalho and put an end to Salgado’s intervention in what was the first session of the trial of the case that will force him to answer for 62 crimes.
Approximately 30 minutes passed between arrival at the Justice Campus and the start of the trial session. Ricardo Salgado was accompanied by lawyer Proença de Carvalho on his right and by his wife Maria João Salgado on his left, who took him by the hand. The scenario was similar to the only session of the EDP process in which Salgado was present.
The few meters between the car and the court building, carried out in full view of everyone, took more than 15 minutes to travel, something justified by the high number of television cameras that followed the former banker, but also by the fact that Ricardo Salgado had motor difficulties, so he moves somewhat slowly. Furthermore, along the way, Salgado faced protests from those affected by the BES: some visibly critical of the former banker, others, single-minded, more understanding of the role Salgado played in the management and collapse of the bank. In any case, Salgado showed no reaction.
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Once inside the court, in the dock reserved for the accused, Ricardo Salgado and his wife only occupied their respective seats for about 28 minutes. The session began at 9:57 a.m., when the former banker’s lawyer, Francisco Proença de Carvalho, asked his client to make his identification this Tuesday – something that was only scheduled for Thursday – and then leave the room. being dismissed from the rest of the sessions.
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After the judge, Helena Susano, stated that “the court understands that such a request makes sense,” Ricardo Salgado was led by his wife to the chair, facing the judge and close to the group. Maria João Salgado was by her husband’s side throughout the entire process, even helping the former banker to correctly hear the president of the court’s questions. Every time the judge asked Ricardo Salgado a question, the woman repeated it in a low voice.
In total nine questions were asked. First the name and age, followed by the date of birth and profession. Salgado began to respond, but could no longer do so when they asked him his mother’s name. And, from then on, the situation did not improve:
“- Where you live?
– Alive… [silêncio]
– In Lisbon or Cascais?
– Do you crack?
– And do you know the street?
– Now I don’t remember.”
After these errors and confusions, Helena Susano continued the investigation: “Do you want this trial – we are in a trial – to be held in your presence or without you being present?”
Salgado did not respond and the judge continued: “Do you want to be here?” At that moment, Salgado took the floor to say that he did not know, which caused his lawyer to interrupt the moment. Proença de Carvalho stated that Ricardo Salgado clearly could not continue responding. And that his client would do everything his lawyer told him, without having the power to decide. Proença de Carvalho then referred to the Alzheimer’s disease that the former banker had been diagnosed with.
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His wife, who remained silent throughout that moment – she only spoke when she repeated the judge’s questions to the former banker – then helped Ricardo Salgado return to the stand reserved for the accused. A few minutes later, at 10:25 a.m., the couple left the courtroom, leaving the court through the garage, without passing through the street. The trial continued in the absence of the former banker.
This Tuesday the first trial session for this case was held, with Ricardo Salgado, the main defendant, accused of 62 crimes: 29 of qualified fraud, 12 of active corruption in the private sector, 7 of money laundering, 5 of document falsification , 4 of infidelity, 2 of falsification of qualified documents, 2 crimes of market manipulation and 1 crime of association to commit a crime.
Already on the street, after the minute in which Salgado was identified, the former banker’s lawyer criticized the situation to which the former BES leader had been subjected. Proença de Carvalho stressed that Salgado “has no knowledge” that he is being tried, because “he has an illness and the effects are what they are.” And he said that a “black page” had opened in Portuguese justice, at least in front of the entire world. “We know how these types of cases, these types of people with these diseases, are treated in the civilized world and we know how they are treated, apparently, in the uncivilized world,” he concluded.
Source: Observadora
