Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has resigned following the police search of his official residence as part of a corruption probe.
The 62-year-old Costa, a longstanding member of the Socialist Party, had been Portugal’s leader since 2015.
Costa indicated that any doubts over his integrity make his role as Premier untenable. "Under these circumstances, I’ve offered my resignation to the President of the Republic," Costa informed reporters. The President is yet to officially accept his resignation.
On Tuesday morning, the police searched Costa’s Santiago Palace residence, in relation to a potential influence peddling and corruption investigation.
Reports suggest that Costa could have been implicated in the awarding of contracts and exploitation rights for green hydrogen and lithium mining projects. The police arrested five individuals in connection with the investigation, identifying the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, two company directors, a businessman and a mayor.
