PSD President Luís Montenegro this Thursday accused the Prime Minister, António Costa, of “whistling aside” regarding TAP and again demanded “explanations and consequences” from the government with “ministers dying in the web of absolute power”.
“TAP: Ministers die in the web of absolute power and a prime minister selling millions of PRR [Programa de Recuperação e Resiliência] performed by its unspeakable publicists”, wrote the Social Democratic leader this morning on the social network Twitter.
According to Montenegro, the prime minister can “whistle to one side”, but the PSD “demands explanations and consequences”.
TAP: Dying ministers in the web of absolute power and a prime minister selling the PRR millions led by his unspeakable publicists. The prime minister can whistle to the side, but the @ppdpsd asks for explanations and consequences.
– Luis Montenegro (@LMontenegroPSD) April 6, 2023
The PSD chairman had already demanded from the prime minister on Wednesday to provide urgent clarification on developments in TAP’s inquiry committee, saying that the finance, infrastructure and parliamentary affairs ministers are “souled and politically weakened”.
“The Portuguese urgently deserve and demand a public position from the Prime Minister in light of these events at TAP,” Luís Montenegro said in a statement at the PSD headquarters in Porto.
“What is Dr. António Costa afraid of giving these clarifications to the country?” he asked during his intervention on Wednesday.
The PSD leader stressed that António Costa has a duty to explain to the country, because governing is taking responsibility and not handing it over to others.
“Doctor António Costa don’t hide behind the 50 advisers and communications specialists who tell you never to talk about TAP,” Montenegro asked.
The Commission of Inquiry into TAP had hearings this week of the airline’s executive president, Christine Ourmiéres-Widener, and former administrator Alexandra Reis.
TAP’s executive president (CEO) said on Tuesday night she was waiting to be fired, but not for good reason, after meeting Infrastructure Minister João Galamba on the morning of the press conference announcing the exemption.
The company’s CEO also revealed that she had met with Finance Minister Fernando Medina the day before and that he had asked her to resign, despite acknowledging the manager’s “great job”.
The next day (Wednesday) Alexandra Reis said she had no doubt that it was the will of TAP’s CEO that led to her departure, although she questioned the reasons to ensure she did not speak of the company’s departure or compensation of half a million euros with the Minister of Finance when she was invited to the government.
The former administrator also stated that she would have resigned from her positions at TAP without compensation if former Infrastructure Minister Pedro Nuno Santos or former Secretary of State Hugo Mendes had told her they would prefer her to step down.
Regarding the compensation, Alexandra Reis told the delegates that she has urged TAP at least three times to find out the net amount to be repaid from the half-million-euro compensation, and is still awaiting information.
Source: DN
