The prime minister maintains his position on the parliamentary committee of inquiry and awaits “the end of its work and the respective conclusions”.
The news will be brought forward by the newspaper this Friday Observer, citing a letter sent by António Costa’s office. “The Prime Minister also understands that out of respect for the parliamentary committee of inquiry, he must wait for the end of its work and the associated conclusions,” reads.
João Galamba said on Thursday that he had informed the head of government by telephone about the contact with the SIS, apparently contradicting what the prime minister had said earlier. Faced with this situation, the Prime Minister’s office simply replied that “The Prime Minister has already expressed his understanding of the matter and has nothing more to add”.
Costa’s office had indicated on May 1 that the prime minister was “not aware and did not need to be informed and did not take any steps” to the SIRP. On the same day, Costa told RTP he repeated the answer, saying that “no one from the government had ordered the SIS to do this or that”. “There was no order to the information services, either from a member of the government or from São Bento,” he repeated.
Galamba said this Thursday that as early as 1 a.m. on April 27, he reported to the Prime Minister, António Costa, the events at the ministry and told him “that he was linked to the SIS”, a call that took place hours after a first attempt at contact involving the chief executive did not answer.
The minister confirmed the version handed over the day before by his chief of staff – this would have been Eugénia Correia who reported to the SIRP (Information System of the Portuguese Republic) and was later contacted by the SIS – but guaranteed that he would not receive any instructions to to call it ‘secret’.
The April 26 incidents are related to Frederico Pinheiro, a former deputy of the minister, and concern complaints against the former deputy for physical violence at the Ministry of Infrastructure and the alleged theft of a laptop computer already after he was fired, in case to be investigated by the Public Prosecution Service.
Source: DN
