Armando Vara appeals latest prison sentence

In jail for the trafficking of influences, former Socialist minister Armando Vara is pushing against his latest condemnation for money-laundering (carrying a two year jail term, and extracted from the larger Marquês probe targeting former prime minister José Sócrates click here) on the basis that it was “inept in its pronouncement”. The prosecution evidence reportedly did not prove the existence of fiscal fraud – thus Mr Vara’s legal argument going to the appeal court is how then can money-laundering be proven? His defence has labelled Mr Vara’s latest jail term “absolutely unnecessary, disproportionate and inadequate”.