The PS on Monday accused the opposition of wanting to downgrade the parliamentary commission of inquiry into TAP, noting that the prime minister did not participate in the decision to activate the SIS to restore the infrastructure ministry’s computer.
Speaking to journalists, in the Assembly of the Republic, the socialist parliamentary leader, Eurico Brilhante Dias, also criticized the positions of the PSD president, Luís Montenegro, in this case regarding the actions of the Information and Security Services (SIS ), as they are “aligned with the far right” and “populists”.
In addition to ruling out the possibility of António Costa personally testifying before the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into the management of TAP – as demanded by the Liberal Initiative and supported by Bloco de Esquerda – the president of the socialist bank also tried to inform the information services and those responsible for the subject of discussion in the Commission of Inquiry.
In front of journalists, Eurico Brilhante Dias again defended the adequacy of the government’s use of the SIS so that the computer that had left the Ministry of Infrastructure with classified information could be recovered. A computer owned by Frederico Pinheiro, former assistant to minister João Galamba, who hours before had been relieved of his duties by João Galamba himself.
Without prejudice to the intervention of the minister [João Galamba], it was not the minister who activated the information service. It was the exacting protocol that any member of government or chief of cabinet must of course carry out in a context where classified information leaves the perimeter of the government,” he justified.
Asked about contradictions that characterized the statements made by the Minister of Infrastructure on Thursday before the parliamentary committee of inquiry, namely about the insider knowledge that António Costa allegedly had regarding the use of the SIS, the chairman of the parliamentary group of the PS against who heard no contradiction.
“We should not feed this kind of talk, let’s not feed a story that, strictly speaking, has feet of clay. It was explicitly said that the Prime Minister did not cooperate in activating the information services at any time,” he stressed.
Eurico Brilhante Dias later said that it is known that there was an attempt to call from João Galamba to António Costa that “was unsuccessful”.
“And we know that the Prime Minister’s intervention was known a posteriori. The intervention of the intelligence services was triggered by the chief of staff [do ministro das Infraestruturas] within the scope of their duties,” he added.
When asked if the PS would accept the prime minister personally testifying before the parliamentary committee of inquiry, as advocated by the Liberal Initiative and the Left Bloc, he replied: “This is a very illustrative example of how institutions are meant to be downgraded”.
“A parliamentary inquiry commission focusing on public administration under the political tutelage of TAP is discussing information systems in a process that has nothing to do with the subject? It’s called the degradation of institutions. We look at the parliamentary inquiry commission and we see that it does not discuss TAP , but rather wants to discuss side elements,” he charged.
Source: DN
