Outgoing TAP CEO to be heard in parliamentary enquiry today
The manager is the 3rd person on a list of about 60 to be heard by the parliamentary committee of enquiry into the political supervision of TAP's management, set up on the initiative of the Left Bloc.
The still executive chairwoman of TAP, Christine Ourmières-Widener, will be heard on Tuesday by the parliamentary committee of enquiry after she contested her dismissal announced by the government following the compensation paid to former director Alexandra Reis.
The manager is the third person on a list of about 60 to be heard by the parliamentary committee of enquiry into the political supervision of TAP’s management, set up on the initiative of the Left Bloc.
The still executive chairwoman of TAP contested the dismissal and accused the government of being in a “political hurry” to sack her, according to the defence, quoted by TVI/CNN.
Last week, officials from the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) were heard, who said the chief executive and chairman of the board, Manuel Beja, are responsible in the case of compensation to Alexandra Reis for having signed the only official document.
The airline’s financial director, Gonçalo Pires, has also been heard, and he assured that he had no involvement in the compensation process, despite being responsible for the company’s accounts.
At the same hearing, Left Bloc MP Mariana Mortágua revealed that former manager Max Urbahn, executive director between 2016 and 2017, when TAP was private, received €1.35 million in a pre-retirement agreement.
The government announced on 6 March that the IGF had concluded that the agreement concluded for the early departure of Alexandra Reis from TAP was null and void and that it was going to ask for the restitution of the money paid to her.
The ministers of finance and infrastructure also announced the dismissal with just cause of TAP’s chief executive, Christine Ourmières-Widener, and of the chairman of the board of directors, Manuel Beja.
The IGF’s verification of the legality of the compensation paid to Alexandra Reis was determined on 27 December last year by the minister of finance, Fernando Medina, and by the then minister of infrastructures and housing, Pedro Nuno Santos.
In December, Alexandra Reis took office as Secretary of State for the Treasury, and then the controversy erupted over the compensation she received when she left the state-owned airline, leading to a reshuffle in the government, including the departure of Pedro Nuno Santos, who was replaced by João Galamba.
Between leaving TAP and joining the government, Reis was also chairwoman of NAV Portugal – Portugal’s air traffic controller.
In a written statement sent to Lusa in December, Alexandra Reis said that the agreement to cease her duties “as director of the companies in the TAP universe” and the revocation of her “employment contract with TAP S.A., both requested by TAP, as well as its public communication, was agreed between the legal teams of both parties, mandated to ensure the adoption of best practices and strict compliance with all legal precepts.
