The issue of the company Spinumviva, central to the early elections scheduled for May 18, was brought to the fore during the sole televised debate between key political leaders, aired simultaneously by RTP, SIC, and TVI. This topic raised the stakes and intensified the remarks among the parties’ leaders.
Pedro Nuno Santos accused Montenegro of “pulling a rabbit out of the hat” regarding this matter. Earlier today, newspaper Expresso reported that the Prime Minister had submitted a new declaration of interests to the Transparency Entity, disclosing new clients of Spinumviva.
“It is unacceptable: it’s an insult to the Portuguese people, to those who work, what Luís Montenegro did just hours before the debate when he had this information for two months and decided to throw the country into elections. It clearly shows he lacks the integrity for his role and is a major factor of instability,” criticized Pedro Nuno Santos.
In response, Montenegro stated that he did not make any interactions public and only responded to a request that was made to him.
“Today, I contacted the Transparency Entity which assured me that they did not disseminate the information I sent yesterday. They informed me that in the Assembly of the Republic, the information I provided was accessible, and therefore, the potential spread of this information is not my responsibility. Moreover, I am not authorized to publicize those clients who were not identified,” Montenegro asserted.
In a stern tone, Montenegro argued that this is “a matter of character” and accused Pedro Nuno Santos of lacking the “moral authority, public life, or professional life” to raise these issues. He added that he never questioned the PS leader about the clients of the company in which Santos held a stake while serving as a deputy or minister.
“Everything Pedro Nuno dos Santos described corresponds to an exploitation of baseless insinuations, which is regrettable and deplorable that a political leader would stoop to such a level merely to gain political advantages,” Montenegro accused.
When questioned about whether he intends to push forward with an inquiry commission, Pedro Nuno Santos replied, “It depends mainly on Luís Montenegro.”
“I will never force any opponent to expose their family, their wife, their children, or their parents or siblings to a parliamentary inquiry for political gain,” retorted the Prime Minister. The PS leader emphasized that his party had already stated they would never summon Montenegro’s immediate family for testimony.
