Prime-minister, António Costa, resigns over misuse of funds, corruption

Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa announced his resignation on Tuesday after he was embroiled in a corruption investigation into the awarding of energy-related contracts.

“The duties of prime minister are not compatible with any suspicion of my integrity. In these circumstances, I have presented my resignation to the president of the Republic,” Costa told a press conference after briefly speaking with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa earlier on Tuesday.

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Earlier Tuesday, Portuguese media reported that investigators had searched several ministries as well as Costa’s offices. Public prosecutors later said they had indicted Infrastructure Minister Joao Galamba & issued an arrest warrant for Costa’s chief of staff.

The investigation covers alleged “misuse of funds, active and passive corruption by political figures, and influence peddling’.