The Prime Minister assured this Friday in Braga that “the government is cohesive”. “None of the layoffs were related to cohesion. There were health problems, others felt they were left without political conditions…” explains António Costa.
When asked whether the Minister of Agriculture can continue, the head of government replied with a simple “yes”.
When asked whether the President of the Republic contributed to the political instability by stating that the outgoing Secretary of State for Agriculture, Carla Alves, was being slighted from a political point of view, António Costa replied that “the Prime Minister does not comment on the words” of the head of state.
“The President of the Republic is the President of the Republic, he is elected by all Portuguese and therefore expresses what he wants”he claimed.
António Costa later stated that “the political assessment of the President of the Republic [Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa] It’s a topic.”
“What I said in the Assembly of the Republic – and I can repeat it – is that Dr. Carla Alves was not the subject of any legal accusation. She was questioned through my office about her bills. [bancárias] and what he said is that he had a joint account and had given up everything he had to fund. She herself understood to offer her resignation. It’s a closed case.”to maintain.
Carla Alves resigned on Thursday because she understood she did not have the “political and personal conditions” to take office the day after taking office.
However, Costa admits that he did not like these things that have affected the government. “No one likes problems in their organization. I don’t like to have problems. But let’s not confuse the essence, which is the problems of the Portuguese,” he said, pointing to the “implementation of community funds” and to “PRR projects [Programa de Recuperação e Resiliência]”.
Correio da Manhã reported on Thursday that the new Secretary of State for Agriculture, who has since resigned, has suspended several bank accounts as part of an investigation involving her husband and former mayor of Vinhais, Americo Pereira.
According to the newspaper, between 2013 and 2020, the couple stated that their income was less than the amounts they had in the bank, a discrepancy that was discovered after banking secrecy was lifted.
The Public Prosecution Service ordered the detention of the former mayor’s belongings, in a process involving more than 4.7 million euros.
At stake are several deals concluded between 2006 and 2015, which also involve a company, a businessman and the rector of the former seminary of this municipality in the district of Bragança.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food guaranteed on Friday that Minister Maria do Céu Antunes was not aware of “any involvement in legal proceedings” by Secretary of Agriculture Carla Alves.
Source: DN
