According to the Público newspaper, António Costa's chief of staff, Vítor Escária, a close adviser to the prime minister, Diogo Lacerda Machado, the mayor of Sines, the socialist Nuno Mascarenhas, as well as two executives, the directors of Start Campus de Sines, Afonso Salema and Rui Oliveira Neves, were arrested.

In a statement released at the end of the morning, the Attorney General's Office (PGR) confirms that there may be "facts at stake that could represent crimes of prevarication, active and passive corruption of political office holders and influence peddling" and justifies the arrests on the grounds that there is "risk of escape, a continuation of criminal activity, disruption of the investigation and disturbance of public order and tranquillity".

"The detainees will be brought before a court for first questioning to apply coercive measures," the statement added.

At issue are the lithium and green hydrogen deals, in a case involving the Minister for Infrastructure, João Galamba, the Minister for the Environment, Duarte Cordeiro, and former minister João Matos Fernandes. All three will be made defendants, writes the same newspaper.

The Prime Minister's press office confirmed that Vítor Escária's office had been searched, without commenting on the judicial action. "We confirm that the chief of staff's office has been searched. We are not commenting on the legal action," a source in São Bento told TSF.

A source at the Ministry for the Environment and Climate Action confirmed to Lusa that the PSP had searched its property, although it said it did not know the reason for the investigation.

And the town hall in Sines, Setúbal, has also admitted that it is being targeted by police authorities. "The authorities are carrying out enquiries inside the town hall building and all the employees are outside," a local authority source told Lusa.