Brussels, 17/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - Alleged to have put pressure on magistrates, the president of the European criminal law cooperation body (Eurojust), José Luis Lopes da Mota of Portugal, resigned on Wednesday 16 December after having been suspended from his post in Portugal, the government has announced. “The deputy general prosecutor, Lopes da Mota, has handed in his resignation from the post of national Eurojust member. His resignation has been accepted”, the Portuguese justice minister states in a press release. This resignation was announced shortly after the high council of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice had decided to suspend José Luis Lopes da Mota for 30 days pending results of an investigation opened in May this year. He was accused of having put pressure on investigating judges so that they conclude their investigation swiftly in the Freeport case, a matter of alleged corruption involving Socialist Prime Minister José Socrates. Posted to Eurojust, the European Union body for judicial coordination, in 2002 from the Portuguese judiciary body, Mr Lopes da Mota, who was formerly secretary of state for justice within the Socialist government under Antonio Guterres, was elected as its president in 2007. According to the internal rules of the Eurojust College, vice presidents having served the longest as a national member are entitled to replace the president in his absence (i.e. if the president is on leave, etc.). Thus, once all the conditions required are met, Ms Michèle Coninsx, who is Eurojust vice-president and national member for Belgium, will act as president until new elections have been organised. (B.C./transl.jl)