The PS faction leader suggested on Friday that the defense ministry should conduct a general audit of its contracting and acquisition processes, noting the existence of an unclear standard that transcends multiple governments.
This point of view was defended by Eurico Brilhante Dias in the program Rádio Renascença São Bento à Friday, in which he takes part in a debate with the chairman of the PSD group, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento.
During the period of this debate dedicated to the resignation of the Secretary of State for Defense, Marco Capitão Ferreira – meanwhile formed as an arguido and target of searches in the context of the Perfect Storm trial – the leader of the PS bank defended the thesis that ” these episodes around the Ministry of Defense are not new”.
Eurico Brilhante Dias then recalled the submarine case, which was eventually shelved, as well as other past cases related to the acquisition of military equipment, as well as the episode surrounding the work on the Belém Military Hospital, involving former General Director Alberto Coelho, who was detained and charged.
“We have to pay particular attention to defense acquisitions. Episodes are repeated with some regularity. There seems to be a pattern. The armed forces and the Ministry of Defense as a whole need to look. If I were a minister, I would do a general audit to the acquisition processes of the Ministry of National Defense”declared the leader of the PS.
Eurico Brilhante Dias noted that he does not intend to take any political initiative, but stressed that one “must understand whether the mechanisms are transparent, where they can be improved and design new processes”.
“This [no Ministério da Defesa] appears to be a pattern – one that is obscure and cross-governmental in some circumstances. I think it’s a decision that needs to be made. The conclusions of the legal proceedings are what they are”he noted, in reference to the case of submarines and other dubious situations unfolding at the Department of Defense.
On the political front, Eurico Brilhante Dias referred to Prime Minister António Costa’s final decision to implement a government reshuffle, but rejected the existence of a situation of instability.
“So far, two ministers have left the current government: Infrastructure and Housing]Pedro Nuno Santos]and Public Health, Marta Temido]for different reasons. This does not change the policies and objectives of the administration”to maintain.
On the contrary, the parliamentary leader of the PSD believed that Marco Capitão Ferreira was already in a situation of political vulnerability.
“We remain interested in listening both to him and to Minister João Gomes Cravinho. As for the Secretary of State, it is up to him to decide whether or not to go to parliament – even for his own political defense he must go. We understand that the Minister of Defense should be called at the time of the facts – and we will call him”he said.
Joaquim Miranda Sarmento stressed that the foreign minister “has been weakened for a long time, even by the case of the works on the Military Hospital” in Belém.
“If we think the government will have a little bit of stability, there is always a new situation. The Prime Minister cannot get out of this mush of irresponsibility, confusion and bewilderment. He will probably no longer be able to recruit for a change. That would bring internal peace to the government “he claimed.
Source: DN
