Trial of police officers accused of torture marks return of courts in September
Portuguese courts have resumed full activity with several high-profile cases on the agenda, including the trial of PSP officers accused of torture and homicide.
September begins with intensive judicial agenda in Portugal
Google News PT — Crime (pt) reports that Portuguese courts resumed full activity on Tuesday, following a month and a half of judicial holidays, with September's agenda marked by trials of major public significance.
The most anticipated case of the month is the trial of two PSP officers from the Rato precinct in Lisbon, accused of a broad range of crimes: abuse of power, torture, rape, offences against physical integrity, document falsification, aggravated theft, robbery and possession of prohibited weapons. The first hearing is scheduled for 11 September at 09:30, and the second for 6 October at the same time.
At Faro Court, the trial of two PSP officers from Olhão, accused of kidnapping and homicide of a Moroccan man in March 2024, is set to begin on 8 September.
BES cases and Operation Marquês resume sessions
Also in the spotlight is the resumption of the Operation Marquês trial in Lisbon, with hearings scheduled for 1, 2 and 3 September. The proceeding, which commenced on 3 July 2025, involves 21 defendants — among them former Prime Minister José Sócrates and former president of Banco Espírito Santo (BES), Ricardo Salgado — accused of corruption and other economic-financial crimes allegedly committed between 2005 and 2014. Without a date yet defined, Sócrates is expected to make further statements in court.
The trial of the BES case, which commenced on 15 October 2024 — approximately ten years after the bank's collapse —, resumes on 7 September. The proceeding has 18 defendants, with Salgado as the principal one, accused of 65 crimes, some of which have already expired.
In the economic crime sphere, the proceeding related to BES Angola (BESA), which includes accusations of breach of trust, money laundering and fraud, resumes on 1 September. Ricardo Salgado and former president of BESA, Álvaro Sobrinho, are among the main defendants.
Other proceedings with scheduled dates
The trial of the Perfect Storm proceeding, which involves 73 defendants in public contracts of the Directorate-General for National Defence Resources, has sessions scheduled for 9 and 10 September.
Operation Lex is resumed on 23 September at the Supreme Military Court in Lisbon, where witnesses summoned by the Public Prosecutor's Office continue to be heard.
On the same date, the proceeding related to NRP Mondego returns to the Justice Campus in Lisbon, where three military personnel are answering charges of violation of State secrecy.
On 10 September at 10:00, the preparatory hearing of the Tutti Frutti proceeding continues at Monsanto Court in Lisbon. Initiated in June, the proceeding has 59 defendants answering for more than four hundred crimes of corruption, misconduct, money laundering and abuse of influence.
Source: Google News PT — Crime (pt)