The information was given to Lusa by a official, who added that the court had examined arguments from both the investigating magistrate in the case, Carlos Alexandre, and the defendant.


No appeal is possible to the Supreme Court, the official said, but only to the Constitutional Court, if the defendant believes that constitutional principles have been violated.


On 24 July Salgado was detained for questioning by the criminal court as part of the investigation into alleged fraud, money laundering, and other white-collar crimes at the bank, which collapsed last year. On 25 July, the court ordered that he remain under house arrest.


On 21 October, the attorney-general's office said that Salgado could be released from house arrest if he paid €3 million in bail, but that he would still be barred from all contact with other suspects in the case, and from travelling abroad.


Salgado was questioned in a separate case relating to alleged money laundering, in July last year, but was freed on bail of €3 million. Last Thursday the attorney-general's office announced that this amount had been lowered to €1.5 million.