In yet another deeply embarrassing apparent own goal, former prime minister José Sócrates has presented his latest book in Lisbon to rapturous applause.
The trouble is that investigators claim “The Evil we Mourn” was written by someone else (as was Sócrates’ first book, “Confidence in the World – Torture in Democracy”).
Both were written by Sócrates’ friend and Law professor Domingos Farinho, claims Jornal i – citing public prosecutors as sources.
As we write about this latest twist emerging from the tortuous web of intrigue attributed to Operation Marquês – the public ministry investigation into alleged multi-million euro corruption – the former leader of the country’s Socialist Party has not yet released any kind of counter statement.
“The Evil we Mourn” – full title: “O Mal que Deploramos – O Drone, o Terror e os Assasinatos-Alvo” was launched in Porto three weeks ago, and then in Lisbon last weekend.
Say reports, it is a critique on the morals of modern warfare where drones ‘take out’ targets that can be thousands of miles away.
Sócrates’ speech presenting the new book revealed his serious concerns that fundamental human rights were being violated.
UPDATE:
Sócrates and his friend and law professor Domingos Farinho have refuted the story, with the former Socialist leader calling it “entirely false and unfounded”.
