Friends in high places......

In two widely published cases, the Freeport case

(where British investigators stated that Mr. Socrates'

was being investigated by the Serious Fraud Department

of active corruption for receiving bribes

while being the Environment Minister

during the António Gutuerres socialist government),

and the more recent scandal of "Ocult Face",

after being caught on telephone tapping

speaking to another ex-minister

of his own cabinet, Armando Vara,

involved in the latest case of tentacular corruption,

involving state controlled companies

and especially, in an attempt to silence

a hugely embarrassing

and vocal television station, TVI.

Mr. Pinto Monteiro had all the telephone tapping evidence

and knew about this latest investigation,

BEFORE the September elections

and decided to keep quiet, so as not to

disturb Mr. Socrates' chances in the election.

In Portugal, it pays to have influencial friends in key positions,

to have an army of"regime" lawyers readily at hand,

who keep the cases from ever coming to court

and to be closed and filed "for lack of evidence".

Powerful politicians as Socrates,

Armando Vara, and the likes,

enjoy an untouchable status.

Completely ABOVE THE LAW:

And if by any chance they are caught up

in any exsiting law, they'll change the law

so as to get off scot free.

The socialists have already changed laws

to protect other socialists caught up

in the child abuse scandal of Casa Pia,

and today, after more than 5 years of trail,

no verdict has yet been reached

and no guilty culprits has been condemned.

The "regime" lawyers have been earning millions,

probably paid for by tax money!!