Marco António Amaro has been appointed by the Lisbon Regional Council of the Bar Association to defend former Prime Minister José Sócrates in the Operation Marquês trial, as confirmed on Friday, February 27, by a source from the Bar Association. Amaro replaces Sara Leitão Moreira, who resigned last Tuesday due to insufficient time to prepare the defence for the Prime Minister who served from 2005 to 2011. Amaro now has 10 days to review the case, with the trial resuming on March 17. Sócrates expressed criticism over learning about his new lawyer through the media before being officially notified by the court, highlighting the inadequacy of the preparation time given the complexity of the case, which includes extensive documentation and evidence.