“I am absolutely calm. This is one of the most scrutinized processes in Portuguese public life. It has already undergone scrutiny by the Court of Auditors, it has even been scrutinized by the Justice system, as we know, since there has already been a process that focused on the entire privatization process, and there has been a parliamentary inquiry commission,” said Miguel Pinto Luz to journalists in Leiria.
“For months we all had the opportunity, we were treated to hours and hours of endless public scrutiny, which is healthy in the Assembly of the Republic, and therefore, we are absolutely calm, the Government, myself, all the participants,” Miguel Pinto Luz declared.
TAP, the Barraqueiro Group, and Parpública are currently subject to searches by the Judiciary Police, with various media outlets pointing to alleged crimes in the privatization concluded in 2015.
The government official stated that “the Government is following the situation with great calm.”
The Judiciary Police are conducting searches at TAP today, in an investigation led by the Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DCIAP), with several media outlets pointing to alleged crimes in the airline’s 2015 privatization.
“We live in a State of Law, it is good that this scrutiny is carried out, that the Portuguese are informed, and that Justice can also do its work, in complete calm,” he insisted.
Highlighting that this is “a special moment for the company” since “TAP is in the middle of a privatization process,” the minister noted that “in three days, less than four days,” he expected the first proposals.
“We know that there is a lot of interest from many investors, many international groups, in acquiring TAP in this privatization process. Therefore, the Government is absolutely committed, focused on this privatization process,” he assured.
The government official further guaranteed that the executive would cooperate “with everything the authorities need, and this is the Government’s position at this moment.”
