The prime minister’s determination not to divulge the list of clients of his family firm, Spinumviva, continues today with news that the Constitutional Court has rejected Luís Montenegro’s appeal to prevent Spinumviva’s clients from being included in the company’s register of interests. But the decision is not final.
The reason it is not final is that the PM has now put in for an annulment of the case.
If he is not successful, the prime minister will (eventually) be required to reveal ‘the list of names’.
The decision by the Constitutional Court was reported by Público today, and confirmed by the court in a written response to Lusa news agency.
The “plenary session of the court has already ruled not to hear the appeal, but the decision is not yet final”, stated the response, citing the PM’s subsequent “motion to dismiss”.
The court has also clarified that this case follows the “rule regarding the publication of judgments relating to declarations of income, assets, and interests” – which means that the decision will only be published “on the Constitutional Court’s website after it has become final.”
This case dates back to July last year, when it was reported that the prime minister had filed objections to the public consultation of certain details of his income, assets, and interests declarations submitted to the Transparency Authority – the body responsible for managing the register of interests of public office holders.
Among contested details was the list of Spinumviva’s clients – a company founded by the PM before he became leader of the PSD party, and currently owned by his children.
Today, the PM said he was unaware of the decision by the Constitutional Court – but that he wanted to clarify that he has not failed in any of his personal asset, income and interests declarations.
Source material: LUSA
