Portuguese president calls for concrete anti-corruption measures

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Monday called for "clear national consensus" and "concrete measures" in the fight against corruption.

On the International Anti-Corruption Day, Rebelo de Sousa "insists on the need for a clear national consensus in this fight and hopes that it will translate into concrete measures," said a message on the presidency's website.

"The concrete measures enable broader means of criminal investigation, legal instruments that allow greater effectiveness in the operation, a faster and therefore fairer justice, all in a climate of reinforcing the Portuguese confidence in the judiciary," said the message.

"The fight against corruption requires strong and prestigious security forces, independent and viable media, and education for honesty and transparency in public life, which must start with the young and demand constant pedagogy in all sectors of Portuguese society," it added.

The government said that it is necessary to find ways to investigate and prosecute corruption processes in a shorter time.

The prosecution service initiated 1,358 corruption investigations between November 2017 and October 2018. Of the 2,517 completed cases during the same period, 152 were prosecuted, accounting for six percent of the total, according to Portuguese Lusa News Agency.

Also in the day, Attorney General Lucilia Gago said that the fight against corruption needs to strengthen mechanism to recover illicit income and a more qualified and speedy response in accounting-financial expertise, Lusa reported.