The payment of half a million euros as compensation to Alexandra Reis did not require the express authorization of TAP’s financial administrator who is in charge of the treasury. Gonçalo Pires, who is being heard by the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the public management of the company, confirms that as financial director he is responsible for all payments. But when the payment instruction is made within the budget, there is no need to report. Only when there is no such setting is there such a report. “That was not the case,” he guaranteed in response to Chega’s deputy, Filipe Melo.
The amount in question was part of the budget because since 2020 there has been a provision for restructuring, which reached 93 million euros, to pay compensation for mutually agreed dismissals, within the framework of the restructuring plan. That amount was 37 million euros at the end of 2021 and in February 2022 – when Alexandra Reis was paid – there were 27 million euros. Of that amount, she clarified, the part constituted to pay compensation for unforeseen departures was 2.3 million euros.
Figures advanced by Gonçalo Pires to explain why his intervention was not necessary to “press the button” (expression used yesterday by PSD deputy Hugo Carneiro) that authorized the transfer of half a million euros to the former administrator. The official added that the payment had been authorized by two company administrators: the executive president and chairman of the board, Manuel. Beja.
Asked if he agrees with the conclusions of the IGF report that resulted in the dismissal of the two managers who signed the Alexandra Reis exit agreement, Gonçalo Pires is concise: “The report detects flaws in the process and it seems clear to me that there were flaws.” But he recognizes that it is not up to the board of directors to fire the managers, but rather the shareholders.
However, the preliminary report of that same audit is unknown, which, according to the Chega deputy, indicates responsibilities to the financial supervision of TAP. The CFO says he did not respond to the contradictory.
Source: Observadora
