António Costa is being investigated over the awarding of green hydrogen and lithium exploitation contracts
“I want to tell the Portuguese people, face to face, that no illicit or even objectionable act weighs on my conscience,” said Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa as he announced his resignation. Photograph: Patrícia de Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty ImagesPortuguese prime minister António Costa has resigned after it was revealed he is being investigated as part of a corruption case.
Soon after the raids, prosecutors revealed that the prime minister himself was under investigation by the supreme court, prompting him to meet with the president and present his resignation.
The hydrogen investigation focuses on whether certain Portuguese companies received favourable treatment when contracts were being awarded for exploitation in Sines, an industrial hub in southern Portugal. The awarding of contracts to exploit lithium in the Montalegre and Boticas mines is also being investigated.