Portugals prime minister suspected of corruption

Portugal's Prime Minister José Sócrates is suspected of having taken bribes from a British business during a construction licencing procedure while serving as environment minister in 2002. Writing in the daily Correio da Manhã, Carlos Abreu Amorim criticises the prime minister's attitude at a press conference in which he responded to the allegations: "I don't know if Sócrates is guilty, but he is very bad at defending himself. The press conference was merely a hasty reaction to the headlines in the media. Sócrates cannot hold a press conference every time the news doesn't suit him. Added to that is his attempt to convince his followers - contrary to the facts - that he is the victim of a 'defamation campaign'. The information was uncovered by the English police, not by any internal adversaries. ... If he continues like this, he is just a couple of headlines from the end of his career."

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