The government rejected it on Thursday after releasing conflicting versions of who had announced a meeting with members of the executive, PS deputies and TAP’s executive chair on the eve of hearing Christine Ourmières-Widener in parliament.
The issue of the controversial meeting that took place on January 17, bringing together PS deputies, members of the government and the executive chairman of TAP, was raised emphatically by journalists during the briefing of the Council of Ministers today.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs said it had only created the “bridge” to schedule the virtual meeting as it had been requested, and that it did not include an invitation to Christine Ourmières-Widener on its own initiative.
Today, the Ministry of Infrastructure said it was told on January 16 that TAP was interested in participating in the next day’s meeting with the PS faction and that João Galamba “had no objection”.
“There is no contradiction. Read the two answers,” explained Ana Catarina Mendes.
Previously, the Minister of the Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva, has refused on several occasions to raise the issue of this meeting in a briefing of the Council of Ministers, claiming that the seat of this debate is the Assembly of the Republic , namely the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry Management TAP.
“This is the time when in the Assembly of the Republic the issues are discussed within the framework of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry, which is ongoing and will continue. Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs,” he stated.
Christine Ourmières-Widener on Tuesday confirmed a complaint from the Liberal Initiative (IL) about the meeting with the PS group, on the eve of the parliamentary run, in January, to explain the compensation to former administrator Alexandra Reis.
Deputy Bernardo Blanco, from IL, wanted to know if there was a combination of questions and answers in that meeting in the clarifications to be given to the Assembly of the Republic, which the manager said she did not remember.
“I think the intention was to ask questions about the process and I answered those questions,” said the still-executive president, adding that according to her agenda no members of the government were present at the said meeting, but advisers and heads of state of cabinet of government members.
Asked who took the initiative to hold the meeting, Christine Ourmières-Widener said that, if she remembers correctly, it came from the office of the Minister of Infrastructure, who was already João Galamba at the time.
In December, Alexandra Reis took office as Secretary of State for Finance, and then controversy erupted over the compensation she received when she left the state airline, leading to a reshuffle in the government, including the departure of Pedro Nuno Santos. who was replaced by João Galamba.
Source: DN
