Former Finance Minister João Leão guaranteed this Tuesday that the only amount the state backed to ensure control of TAP in 2020 was the €55 million paid to David Neeleman for his participation.
This response from João Leão in the parliamentary committee of inquiry into the airline came after the PSD asked whether a payment of 11.9 million euros had been made in respect of ancillary payments to the other private shareholder of the Atlantic Gateway consortium, Humberto Pedrosa, with on based on documentation to which the Committee had had access.
“The only amount supported by the state to ensure control of TAP was 55 million euros. […] It is stated in the legal decree in a transparent and clear manner from the first moment. There was no other funding that supported the state in this dimension”assured the former ruler.
During Humberto Pedrosa’s hearing in the Commission of Inquiry, the businessman said that he had not kept the value of the additional benefits and that he had not “cryed” the money he left with TAP.
Referring to an “always cordial” relationship with Humberto Pedrosa, the former finance minister said this Tuesday that, from what he remembers regarding the Portuguese businessman in the context of those negotiations in 2020, “he gave up everything and with only one euros of the transaction”.
João Leão also pointed out that with the departure of David Neeleman, the joint venture disappeared and “there had to be redistributions among the investors, which do not concern the State”.
Deputy Hugo Carneiro, from the PSD, said he was interested to find out whether or not the payment was made and if there is no clarity, he will seek clarification from TAP, Humberto Pedrosa and the ministry through the Commission of Inquiry of Finance.
In addition, João Leão reiterated that during the negotiations that resulted in the payment of 55 million euros for David Neeleman to leave TAP, the government was “very demanding” and “very strict in defending the interests of the state”.
In the second round of questions, the delegates again touched on the issue of Airbus funds, which enabled Atlantic Gateway to capitalize TAP with €226.75 million, under the 2015 privatization.
João Leão reiterated that he was not aware of the Airbus funds and that if it is true that the operation involved a commercial discount on the aircraft order exchange and that this amount was left to the private shareholder, it seems to him that there is “a dimension in which the legitimate interests of TAP SA”.
“It appears to me to be an unlawful appropriation, if true, by the private investor of an amount belonging to a company not exclusively his”he stressed.
Source: DN
