Former Portugal leader denies meddling in state-owned bank
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Portugal's former Socialist prime minister, Jose Socrates, has rejected what he says are "insinuations" that he used his influence to ensure a troubled state-owned bank provided loans for a Portuguese vacation resort development.
Socrates, who was center-left prime minister from 2005 to 2011, was arrested two years ago on suspicion of corruption, money-laundering and tax fraud and is still under investigation.
He wrote in an opinion article published Monday in daily Jornal de Noticias that a center-right party's proposal for a parliamentary inquiry into what caused the financial difficulties of Caixa Geral de Depositos is "a childish tactical maneuver" by his political opponents to discredit him.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
He denied media reports that he gave the bank instructions on whom to lend money to.