Defense Minister Helena Carreira assured this Thursday that “justice is working” in response to the prosecution’s accusation regarding the “Perfect Storm” trial, which includes 73 suspects, including three senior government officials.
“Justice is working and we are seeing the results of this process. And that is why we must remain calm in the sense that what needs to be done is being done,” the minister said on the sidelines of a visit to Serra de Montejunto.
Questioned by journalists, Helena Carreiras said she feels “very comfortable” with the position she holds and she is taking action so that situations such as those related to the defense corruption trial do not repeat themselves.
“It is not for me to judge, to judge and certainly not to speculate. It is for me to make sure that this kind of situation does not continue in the present and does not happen again in the future. That is exactly what I did “, assured the ruler”.
He considers it necessary “to give peace and space to institutions to function and justice to function”. “That’s what’s happening,” said Helena Carreiras, adding that she requested “that audits and advisory services be developed to ensure these two objectives.”
“These efforts are being developed by the General Inspectorate of National Defense. I also asked the Court of Auditors to carry out inspections and this was accepted,” stressed the minister, who defended that “we must not disrupt or condition these processes [judiciais]”.
He also stated that it is necessary to have “the ability, competence and resources to prevent” these situations from happening again. “That’s my focus and that’s what we have to do,” reinforced Helena Carreiras.
Among the 73 defendants in the “Perfect Storm” case are Alberto Coelho, the former Director General of the Procurement and Service Management Structure of the Ministry of National Defense (MFN), the Directorate General of National Defense Resources (DGRDN), Paulo Branco , former director of financial management services and Francisco Marques, former director of infrastructure and heritage services.
Crimes of passive corruption, money laundering, embezzlement and forgery of documents are at stake in a process related to the award of works by the Directorate General for National Defense Resources.
Former Secretary of State for Defense will be investigated in a separate investigation
In addition to the three leaders already mentioned, four other MDN employees, 36 businessmen and family members, as well as 30 companies are also accused.
Former Defense Secretary Marco Capitão Ferreira, who resigned after being accused and wanted in Operation Perfect Storm, is not on the list of 73 suspects by the prosecution.
The suspicions attributed to Captain Ferreira should be the subject of a separate inquiry, in which all his management at Defense will be scrutinized with a fine comb. The former ruler was appointed arguido on July 7 on suspicion of corruption and economic participation in a company.
Source: DN
