“Is it acceptable that things of this gravity happen within the Government and the President of the Government never finds out about anything?” The question was left by Luís Marques Mendes, in his usual comments at the SIC this Sunday, regarding the TAP case. The lawyer, noting that António Costa “has no direct responsibility in this case”, questions, however, the fact that these cases take place and the President of the Government does not know about it. “Is it acceptable for ministers to hide essential governance issues from the prime minister and nothing happens? Is it just the ministers fault or is it also the prime minister’s lack of leadership and authority? Questions are asked. “Are there so many cases within the Government and the President of the Government never knows anything?” “There are many cases and small cases and the prime minister never knows anything. It’s very strange and someone needs to clear this up.”
Marques Mendes focuses his attention on Pedro Nuno Santos, whom he considers the most “responsible for this mess” who has already resigned. The General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF), in the facts that he points out, “is devastating for itself [para o ex-ministro das Infraestruturas]. For a long time, Pedro Nuno Santos lacked the truth. When he resigned, it seemed that his Secretary of State was a villain and he, Minister, a hero. A ‘poor boy’, who even quit through no fault of his own! After all, it turns out that he now knew everything from the beginning.
For the commentator, the former minister knew everything, the negotiation and the compensation. And he also criticizes that his ministry did not analyze anything before authorizing compensation to Alexandra Reis, which the IGF considered void for not having respected legal precepts.
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Source: Observadora
