The Superior Council of Magistrature has opened an investigation into a bizarre ‘phone tap’, suggesting judge Ivo Rosa could be bribed.
It’s not even certain that this tap is ‘genuine’ (that it hasn’t been staged).
What is certain is that Judge Ivo Rosa has repeatedly thrown out ‘evidence’ presented by public prosecutors.
The most recent – and perhaps most dramatic example – came in his extraordinary ruling in the instruction phase of the Marquês investigation – one of the most complex cases in recent years, centring on a labyrinth of alleged corruption involving former movers and shakers (click here).
As tabloid Correio da Manhã concedes, allegations against judges have been made in the past which end up being “completely false”.
Thus, this could well be one of them.
But given the fact that this is the man deciding some of the most pressing (and most drawn-out) cases of the era (BES and Marquês), it is important to check that he is above suspicion.
To be fair, the whole story sounds ‘off’: The phone tap was of a prisoner in jail – a drug trafficker – who was heard telling his girlfriend that Ivo Rosa was going to do “a little work” on his case” in return for €1,000.
The story is an exclusive in this week’s edition of Sábado, and Judge Rosa has has already denied all knowledge of it.
