PCP secretary general Paulo Raimundo said on Saturday that whoever lies should explain the controversy between minister João Galamba and his former deputy over the preliminary meeting with the former CEO of TAP.
During a visit to the Ovibeja agricultural fair, Paulo Raimundo resorted to the proverb “when May comes, those who have not plowed will have to plow” when journalists asked him about the controversy surrounding the preliminary meeting with the former CEO of TAP.
And he added: “There are three things that we are sure of: first, that May will come, in all these events there were people who lied and will have to explain themselves and TAP, which is at the heart of all this, wants it to be privatized,” he stated.
Still referring to the same proverb, Paulo Raimundo admitted that the Prime Minister, António Costa, is “waiting for May” to talk about the matter and said again that “when May arrives, someone will have to explain themselves”.
“There is a problem, that is evidence and it is already worth asking questions, answers or combinations. The fact is that someone lied, someone is lying, in this whole situation and it is necessary to know who lied and that is what should have an explanation”, he said.
The communist leader believed that “the large-scale crime going on is the privatization of TAP” and defended that this process should be stopped and the airline should be put under public management.
In the inquiry committee, there is “so much shouting, so much noise, so many things happening one after the other, it’s obvious and there’s no way to hide it, but in the end the fast track is the privatization of TAP,” he said.
“And this path is accompanied by PS, PSD and Liberal Initiative. So much shouting that everyone agrees,” he stressed.
For the rest, he insisted, “it’s clarifying what needs to be clarified, identifying who lied, there were those who lied, there’s no doubt about it, and someone will have to explain”.
Accompanied by the communist delegate elected by Beja, João Dias and other leaders, the leader of the PCP and the president of the republic, who paused on their way out, passed each other at the entrance of the event and shook hands.
“Have a nice visit. It’s spectacular and hopefully you can still watch Xutos & Pontapés and eat something,” Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told him, to which Paulo Raimundo replied, “Sure. I believe so. Let’s go see that farming. Have Have a good trip,” he replied.
Asked about the government’s lack of invitations to attend the fair, the PCP secretary-general said that “those who organize invite those who understand” but acknowledged that “the outcry of farmers, especially small farmers , rightly so”. .
“We have everything, we have the land, we have very dedicated farmers, people who love the land and agriculture and what fails is the politics. We must have the choice to support production and not end agricultural production” , he emphasized. .
Today, Infrastructure Minister João Galamba considered having “all the conditions” to be in government, denying contradictions and insisting that the facts show that there was cooperation with TAP’s Commission of Inquiry.
At a press conference, Galamba said he had informed former TAP executive chairperson Christine Ourmières-Widener of the preparatory meeting requested by the PS and that he could participate if he wished, after later receiving confirmation from interest had received, a presence that was not opposed.
The minister also stated that he had reported to the Deputy Secretary of State to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice of the theft of a computer by the acquitted Deputy Frederico Pinheiro, after being told to report it to SIS and PJ.
On Friday, Frederico Pinheiro was dismissed for “conduct incompatible with duties and responsibilities” and his accusations against João Galamba, categorically denied by the minister, that he had tried to leave information to the Commission of Inquiry (CPI) about TAP .
The acquitted deputy accused the Ministry of Infrastructure of wanting to withhold information from the TAP investigative committee about the “preparatory interview” with the former CEO.
Source: DN
