Lisbon, Nov. 17, 2025 (Lusa) - Since September, the Portuguese National Anti-Corruption Mechanism has filed 11 criminal proceedings for non-compliance with the general corruption prevention laws in companies and already has artificial intelligence to assist in its oversight work.
The 11 infringement proceedings target 10 public entities and one private entity, according to the new Anti-Corruption Mechanism board of directors, which has been in office since mid-August and is led by judge José Mouraz Lopes, at an informal meeting with journalists to present the "Anti-Corruption Month" programme, which in December includes a series of initiatives to mark International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December.
The number of criminal proceedings is likely to increase significantly, said Vice-President Ana Paula Lourenço.
Without wishing to disclose the specific entities targeted in these proceedings, the board of directors said that one of them is in the transport sector and that the last six offence proceedings were initiated last Friday, with the companies not yet having been notified.
There will only be fines for these 11 cases, it is not yet possible to determine the figure involved as the proceedings have not been concluded - if the entities are ultimately found to be at fault, with non-compliance with the general corruption prevention laws providing for fines of between €2,000 and €44,891.81 for companies and up to €3,740.98 for individuals.
Of the approximately 14,000 entities covered by the general corruption prevention law obligations - because they have at least 50 employees - almost 12,000 are private and 2,000 are public, with slight fluctuations in these figures depending on changes in staffing levels.
Recently, the process of monitoring compliance with the general corruption prevention laws has been enhanced by an artificial intelligence tool developed internally, with the help of an external company, which allows volumes of information that would take an employee a day to analyse to be analysed in a matter of seconds, said President Mouraz Lopes.
Despite the help of new technologies, the National Anti-Corruption Mechanism continues to have a staff shortage for its duties, stressed the judge, noting that even with two new hires already secured - under a mobility scheme, the only form of recruitment authorised - the agency is still far from filling all its positions.
Of the 30 current positions, 19 are filled, which will be just over 20 when the new hires take effect, almost a dozen below the current definitions and very far from the 50 positions included in the proposed amendment to the Anti-Corruption Mechanism's staffing structure presented by the new board of directors, which is still awaiting approval from the Ministry of Justice.
"I hope that once this phase of approving the state budget for 2026 is over, the approval of the new staffing structure will be unblocked," said Councillor Mouraz Lopes, who hopes to see the issue resolved by the end of the year.
There is also the expectation of raising awareness among the Ministry of Finance of the need to guarantee financial incentives for the mobility of specialists to the Anti-Corruption Mechanism, applying similar schemes to other state bodies, where mobility implies salary increases of 10% to 15%, for example.
"We don't need a lot of people, but we need highly qualified people," said Mouraz Lopes, still on the subject of recruitment conditions.
The salary factor has been one of the reasons for holding back the transfer of staff to the Anti-Corruption Mechanism, but not the only one. There are issues with the condition of the building itself and accessibility that deter potential candidates.
Leaving the old convent located on a steep staircase on the hillside of São Jorge Castle, in downtown Lisbon, far from public transport and with difficult parking, which once housed the Supreme Court of Justice during the investigation phase of the “Operation Lex” case, is a priority for the Anti-Corruption Mechanism, which has a public leasing procedure underway, currently in the market consultation phase.
The Anti-Corruption Mechanism's action plan for next year is due to be approved later this month and the board of directors, whose duties also include being "attentive to the country", has already identified an area of potential risk in terms of corruption next year, which is the large increase in spending planned for the defence sector, stressing that this is "a concern across the European Union".
In 2026, the body also hopes to develop a study "to identify the risk of corruption", which aims to provide a realistic picture of the issue, counter perceptions and "dismantle the idea that Portugal is a country of corrupt people", with the question of the metrics to be adopted still under study.
Mouraz Lopes argued for the need to invest in education and training as a pillar of prevention, a concern that is evident in next month's initiatives, which will visit schools and involve universities.
The programme, which will cover the whole country, including the autonomous region of the Azores, also includes a forum on innovation in promoting integrity and transparency on the 4th of December at the University of Lisbon, during which the Anti-Corruption Mechanism's new artificial intelligence tool will be presented.
On the 9th, International Anti-Corruption Day, there will be, among other initiatives, a conference at the headquarters of the Judicial Police dedicated to corruption and organised crime and a tribute to former attorney general Joana Marques Vidal and former Socialist minister João Cravinho, whom the Anti-Corruption Mechanism wishes to remember as figures who put the fight against corruption on the public and political agenda.
IMA/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
