Report on €500K TAP pay off should have legal conclusions only
"What is at stake, according to the conclusions of the report, is whether or not there are illegalities, you have to see which ones and which reaction is justified," said the President.
Portugal’s president on Monday made it clear that he believes that the report by the Inspectorate General of Finance (IGF) on the compensation paid by TAP to former board member Alexandra Reis may result in “legal consequences, not political”.
Speaking to journalists at the end of a ceremony at the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stressed that “there is no definitive report yet”.
“When there is, the finance minister has already said he would give his opinion on it and then draw conclusions or not, imagine that the conclusions are that it is all legal,” the head of state said.
Even “if everything is not legal,” he added, there may be “several types of irregularities,” saying that “the minister will act in accordance with the law”.
Asked whether on Saturday when he referred to the consequences of this case he was referring to the government or TAP, the Portuguese president replied, “No, I am referring to legal consequences, not political ones.
“What is at stake, according to the conclusions of the report, is whether or not there are illegalities, you have to see which ones and which reaction is justified,” he said.
And, to the question if on Saturday he had not left “the door wide open to the exit of the finance minister” from the government, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa replied with another question.
“How? I said and I repeat it again: having decided to instigate the enquiry, the finance minister waits for the report and decides on the report,” he said.
On Saturday, the president of the country argued that the finance minister, Fernando Medina, should consider the consequences of the IGF’s conclusions on the compensation paid to former secretary of state Alexandra Reis.
“If it was requested by the minister of finance, the minister of finance will have to ponder exactly the consequences of the report. Let’s wait and see,” he then replied, when asked by journalists whether this case could have further political consequences.
SIC TV News reported on Friday night that the draft opinion of the Inspectorate General of Finance (IGF) points out irregularities in the case involving the payment of €500,000 in compensation by TAP to the former director and former secretary of state for the treasury, Alexandra Reis.
On Sunday, the finance ministry explained that the IGF’s inspection exercise on the compensation paid to former TAP director Alexandra Reis is still “in the fact-finding phase” and only after that will a final report be drawn up.
“The inspection action by IGF is still ongoing, being in the cross-checking phase. Only after this phase will a final report be produced and sent to the government”, explains Fernando Medina’s ministry in a statement.
According to the ministry, “as soon as the inspection is completed and a report is produced, the finance minister will promptly make public the conclusions and determine what is necessary to fully guarantee legality.
