The deputy director-general of the Directorate-General for Food and Veterinary Affairs, Luísa Sá Gomes, submitted her resignation on Monday, understanding that “she does not have the conditions to continue to fulfill the functions for which she has been appointed”.
The resignation has already been accepted by the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Maria do Céu Antunes, the Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement to the editors.
According to this Monday’s Público, Luísa Sá Gomes is charged with crimes of abuse of power, economic participation in business and document forgery.
The person responsible, appointed on a replacement basis, was sentenced to two years and three months suspended imprisonment in a case involving direct amendments to contracts for the construction and refurbishment of GNR stations and posts. However, in June 2021, the Lisbon Court of Appeal ordered a repeat of the trial for alleged errors in the first instance conviction.
Despite the insistence of the journalists, Maria do Céu Antunes had stated that “there was no impediment that would allow or prevent the person from being appointed under a substitute regime”.
The minister added that Luísa Sá Gomes was already “in a leading role” at the Ministry of Agriculture.
At the moment, he said, the Public Administration Recruitment and Selection Commission (CReSAP) is finalizing the candidate selection process: “We expect the list to be submitted to us at all times so that the candidate to be selected can occupy the position.”
Source: DN
