Miguel Alves leaves the government, which he joined on September 16 as Deputy Undersecretary of State to the Prime Minister, and faces legal proceedings involving him over suspicions of economic and financial crimes committed while he was chairman of the Caminha chamber.
The resigned wrote a letter to the prime minister making his office public.
Costa immediately accepted the resignation. A note from his office states that “the Prime Minister has received and accepted the resignation of Dr. Miguel Alves from the post of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Prime Minister, having already presented his resignation to the President of the Republic”.
The second paragraph reads: “The Prime Minister thanks Dr. Miguel Alves for his availability to fill the positions now ending, and will appropriately propose his replacement to the President of the Republic.”
Minutes later, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa reported on the presidency’s website that he had accepted Miguel Alves’ resignation request.
Miguel Alves confirms that he was “discovered by the media” of the prosecution by the Public Prosecution Service, in an investigation “referring to the facts of 2015 and 2016”, Miguel Alves wrote in his letter of resignation that as a result he asked for clarification from the Attorney General of the Republic, “after contacts in legal terms by the Minister of Justice”.
“I have a clear conscience, absolutely convinced of the legality of all the decisions I have made in the service of the people of Caminha and very committed to defend my honor in the right place and time of Justice.”
Now that the PGR has “confirmed” the accusation, it has offered the Prime Minister’s resignation (and for now there is still no replacement).
“Given the MP’s accusation and while I am not aware of the conditions and assumptions, I believe that the conditions that would allow me to remain in the government of Portugal have not been met,” the outgoing wrote. Secretary of State.
Alves concludes by thanking Costa for the “trust” he has placed in him, “the work that has been possible in recent weeks” with “all members of the government”.
“I have a clear conscience, absolutely convinced of the legality of all the decisions I have made in the service of the people of Caminha and very committed to defend my honor in the right place and time of Justice.”
Source: DN
