On Wednesday, the attorney general’s office confirmed there was an investigation into the bank and there were three people who were suspected of granting loans by Montepio and failed Espírito Santo banks to a fund to buy land.

A source connected with the investigation told Lusa that the former chairman of Montepio, Tomás Correia, was suspected of getting an illegal payment of €1.5 million from building entrepreneur José Guilherme.

The investigation, begun in 2016, started with a spin-off from the "Operação Marquês", where the former PM Sócrates is one of the main suspects.

The same source said that Tomás Correia is suspected of receiving the €1.5 million ikn Exchange for Montepio lending José Guilherme more than €70 million.