The recommendation published on MENAC’s official page, dated May 22, emphasizes the need to update the document issued over a year ago to improve upon previous experiences, underlining the “urgent need to promote citizens’ trust in state institutions by ensuring transparency and integrity control within sovereign bodies.”
The new recommendation adds two points to the previous text, suggesting that the Secretary-General of the Government should be responsible for publicizing potential conflicts of interest involving government members and their staff.
It further advises the organization to publish “in the manner deemed most appropriate, relevant opinions, impact studies, and other complementary documents related to government legislative initiatives” as well as a “centralized registry of requests for exemption by government members and their offices regarding decision-making processes.”
Elsewhere, MENAC reiterates previous recommendations that the government adopt a code of conduct and a risk prevention plan targeting corruption and related offenses, “appropriate to its size, mission nature, and programmatic priorities.”
These instruments, applicable to government members and their staff, should also be extended, “with necessary adaptations, to senior officials of the direct state administration, public institute directors, and public managers.”
MENAC stresses that these measures should be implemented within 60 days following the executive’s commencement of duties and reassessed annually.
MENAC’s recommendation does not reference any specific case, but the Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s family business, Spinumviva, is under preventive investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office after disclosures about clients that could represent potential conflicts of interest for the head of government.
The company’s activities have also prompted an investigation by the Bar Association to assess potential illicit representation.
Established in June 2023, MENAC is an entity dedicated to “promoting transparency and integrity in public action and ensuring the effectiveness of corruption prevention policies and related offenses.”
In February, the Government approved restructuring MENAC’s leadership structure, which will now include a board of directors comprising three members, replacing the current chair position held by retired counselor judge Pires da Graça.
Justice Minister Rita Alarcão Júdice justified the restructuring as essential for enhancing the organization’s “capacity for action,” dismissing any implication of it being a value judgment on the magistrate’s performance.
The government initially planned for the new board to be appointed by the Council of Ministers, with the Minister of Justice dismissing any concerns over MENAC’s independence. However, the government decided to consult the Attorney General and the President of the Court of Auditors for appointments, aiming to “avoid noise” during the election campaign period, according to the Justice Minister.
