Presidential candidate Gouveia e Melo said on Tuesday that he was the target of a 'character assassination attempt', without specifying by whom, and welcomed the clarification from the Attorney General's Office (PGR) that he is not a formal suspect. He told journalists this at the end of a visit to the Associação Luiz Pereira da Mota in Loures, in the district of ...
Gouveia e Melo says he is the target of a 'character assassination attempt'
Tuesday, 30 December 2025RSS
Context & Explainers
The Ministério Público (Public Prosecution Service) is Portugal's independent state prosecution body, responsible for leading criminal investigations, bringing charges, and representing the public interest in court.
The MP operates autonomously from the government and the police, though it directs criminal investigations carried out by the Polícia Judiciária, PSP, and GNR. It is led by the Procurador-Geral da República (Attorney General), who is appointed by the President on the government's proposal.
The MP gets involved in high-profile cases including corruption, financial crime, and incidents of potential institutional negligence. It also defends the legality of government actions and protects citizens' fundamental rights through the courts.
The Attorney General's Office is Portugal's public prosecution service, the Procuradoria‑Geral da República (PGR), which leads criminal prosecutions and issues official legal warnings, including through specialised units such as its Cybercrime Office. The PGR recently warned about email scams targeting banking details, so residents should treat its alerts as primary sources of official cybersecurity guidance.
