LISBON (Reuters) – A Lisbon judge ordered on Monday that all five people detained last week for alleged corruption and influence-peddling, including the outgoing Portuguese prime minister’s former chief of staff, be released from custody, the court said.
They remain suspects in the investigation into alleged illegalities in the government’s handling of lithium and hydrogen projects, as well as a large-scale data centre.
The probe has led to the resignation of Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who is the target of a related investigation, and a snap election being called for March 10.
Prosecutors had asked for the continued detention of the former chief of staff, Vitor Escaria, and Diogo Lacerda Machado, a business consultant and a friend of Costa’s.
Lacerda Machado was released on a 150,000-euro ($160,305) bail, while no bail was demanded for Escaria, who will be barred from travelling abroad, the court said.
Others were named formal suspects in the investigation but were not detained, including Infrastructure Minister Joao Galamba, and head the environment agency APA, Nuno Lacasta.
Costa will meet the president on Tuesday to discuss Galamba’s future.
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(Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Aislinn Laing)
