In Jewish law (Halakha), justice is not simply a preferred civic virtue; it is viewed as the fundamental pillar upon which human civilization rests. Jewish tradition teaches that without a functioning and honest system of justice, society will inevitably degenerate into violence, chaos, and self-destruction.
There have been many controversies surrounding the Portuguese Justice system, ranging from a commission of inquiry scheduled for September to investigate Luís Neves' years in office at the head of the Judicial Police, to the alleged involvement of the current director in a case of illegal wiretapping, falsification of documents and false statements. These structural and personal controversies have severely shaken the public perception of the Portuguese justice system and its top security officials. The independence and impartiality of Attorney General Amadeu Guerra have faced significant public and political scrutiny due to his perceived closeness with Neves. The controversy has intensified, creating a complex web of legal and political challenges that place both men at the center of national debate.
In October 2024, shortly after taking office, the Attorney General Amadeu Guerra stated that he "would welcome" the re-appointment of Luís Neves as head of the PJ. The Minister of Justice Rita Alarcão Judice later confirmed that establishing a consensus with Guerra was highly important for the government's decision to re-appoint Neves in late 2024. Following his career at the PJ, he transitioned to the government as the Minister of Internal Administration.
For Amadeu Guerra, it is not easy to deal with the unexpected situation that has arisen in the meantime. The Attorney General did not respond to inquiries from SOL and CNN Portugal regarding whether he had opened an investigation into the construction work on Neves' properties in Odemira, carried out by the owner of Construbarcelos, who previously worked for the PJ and pocketed €2.3 million. Between July 21 and August 25, journalists sent six emails to Amadeu Guerra asking if any inquiry had been opened into the works that Luís Neves himself has admitted had no project, no budget, no municipal license, and not even payment for labor, excluding an alleged five thousand euros in cash as a "working capital."
The journalists also asked Guerra if any inquiry had been opened into the works that the Judiciary Police awarded to the company Construbarcelos between 2019 and 2025, which are being investigated by the European Public Prosecutor's Office. Guerra remained silent again, which he maintained when asked if PGR (Portuguese Prosecutor's Office) is investigating the financial director of the PJ, Álvaro Pires, who also had works carried out at his home, under the same circumstances, also without the issuance of invoices and without any payment that has been recorded.
In April 2026, Attorney General Amadeu Guerra and Minister of Internal Administration Luís Neves (former National Director of the Judiciary Police) attended the birthday dinner of PSD politician Fernando Seara. Also attending the dinner was Fernando Pereira, the Grand Master of a Masonic structure called "The Klub".
The newspaper SOL reports that, regarding the internal investigations ordered by the Minister of Justice Alarcão Judice, Luís Neves "seems equally shielded." The internal evaluation within the Judiciary Police is led by a woman who reports functionally to the deputy national director João Melo, appointed in 2018 on the proposal of the then national director, Luís Neves. A similar case occurs with the audit by the General Inspectorate of Justice Services, conducted by a lady who for years was functionally dependent on the Deputy Secretary of State for Justice.
Journalists are claiming that the investigations into Luis Neves are stalled or hampered from the start: some have not yet had any proceedings, and others are being led by people who were close to Luis Neves.
The same builder who received 2.3 million euros in works from the PJ was apparently presented with a seized trailer, which he allegedly used in his daily life. The case is being investigated by the PJ itself, led by the friends that Neves left there. It is unknown how the builder performed this alleged "favor," why, and whether he was eventually paid to keep the trailer (1 euro, for example, 2 euros, 100,000 euros, any amount?) or even to destroy drums of chemicals, which he never did. These are mere hypotheses that the democratic rule of law would like to see clarified.
Minister Alarcão Judice's role is also not simple, given the various choices she made and mentioned above. She must show total transparency and impartiality. The history of the Ministry of Justice is full of stains and sins. In 2004, the prosecutor João Guerra intercepted wiretaps of high-ranking state figures attempting to influence the investigations in the famous Casa Pia pedophilia case. Pedophilia is a very serious crime in any civilized society, especially in a case where minors without parents were in a foster care institution. Pedophilia is a crime so severely punished in civilized countries that if, hypothetically, a video of a public figure consuming child pornography were released on the internet, would his life be destroyed in 10 minutes.
CNN Portugal reported that Luís Neves, during his time as National Director of the Judicial Police (PJ), signed a document requesting the temporary use of luxury goods—including eight high-end televisions, fifteen pieces of gym equipment, three sofas, and chairs—seized from the drug trafficker known as "Xuxas". Because the case has not yet transitioned to res judicata, the legal ownership of the property still belongs to the defendant. The Judicial Police led by the men chosen by Luís Neves did not answer a simple question from journalists: Where are these assets today?
This revelation emerged alongside a broader controversy involving Luís Neves, now the Minister of Internal Administration. He faces political scrutiny for driving a high-performance Volkswagen Golf GTD seized from the exact same drug trafficker, a practice that other police forces, such as the PSP, interpret as legally non-viable for political officials.
Using luxury private property before a final conviction is viewed as abusive. Legal minds, including former Bar Association leader Fernanda Pinheiro, have argued that while the law clearly permits the operational use of vehicles or communication devices for police missions, claiming "operational utility" for items like sofas, luxury televisions (some costing up to €17,000 each), and gym benches stretches the intent of the law and crosses into illegality. If the defendant is ultimately acquitted or has assets returned, the State is required to return the items in their original condition. Actively using household and fitness goods poses a direct financial risk to the State regarding depreciation and wear.
It was not the first time that Luís Neves has been associated with luxury goods. A mega-operation conducted by the Polícia Judiciária in Madeira in January 2024 involved transporting a large contingent of inspectors using military/Air Force planes, which drew public debate and criticism. National Director Luís Neves mobilized one hundred inspectors and forensic specialists from the mainland to execute over 130 searches in Madeira amid high-profile corruption investigations.
Air Force military aircraft were utilized to move the large team simultaneously, a decision aimed at maintaining absolute secrecy and preventing any pre-operation leaks or tipped-off targets. Legal figures questioned the proportionality, optics, and costs of deploying military assets and mass simultaneous transport for a police operation. Neves strongly defended the operation's logistics, stating that the 100% effectiveness and lack of information leaks proved the methods were necessary, appropriate, and fully justified. In addition, the real scandal happened when the defendants were detained for 21 days before the highly competent and literate investigating judge Bernardes de Melo ruled that there was no evidence of a crime.
The biggest blunder of Luis Neves' life occurred in 2022 when, allied with his friends Albano Pinto, Afonso Sales, and Luís Pinheiro, he was one of the main culprits in the totally illegal invasion of the Kadoorie Mekor Haim synagogue. They claimed there was corruption in the Register Offices, they said there were large sums of money from Sephardic Jews for Jewish leaders, and to this day they still haven't apologized. They aligned themselves on a “Palestinian question” that will not go unanswered. The blame won't all fall on a poor doorman, twice criminally convicted. If they didn't know the history of the Inquisition, they should have studied it.
