Yesterday’s searches – at both TAP, law offices in Lisbon and a government department – over the illegal half-million euro handshake that shook the government of the time, have prompted former Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos come out from the cold (after last May’s election defeat) to insist that “no crime was committed by the government”.
Mr Nuno Santos took to Instagram, in a series of posts, to put his case, stressing that this is the second time his “good name” has been “called into question” (the first being during the last election campaign), and that this subject, particularly, has caused him “so much damage”: “I only wish it could be concluded as soon as possible so that my participation in this dossier is definitively clear”, he wrote.
Lusa gives an almost verbatim account of Pedro Nuno Santos’ assertions – including the very colloquial admission that “everything did not go well” in the decision to pay a thumping compensation to a manager who went on to clinch another top job in the public sector – but Correio da Manhã today suggests the man who failed to become prime minister in May is very much at the heart of the Public Prosecutor’s inquiry.
The computer, for example, ‘seized’ from the General Secretariat of the government, is understood to contain emails exchanged between Mr Nuno Santos, and his secretary of state of the time, Hugo Mendes, who was responsible for the ‘aviation’ side of Pedro Nuno Santos’ infrastructures portfolio.
Readers may recall that this was the ‘golden handshake’ okayed over Whatsapp by Pedro Nuno Santos – a detail that during the early stages of this controversy, the former minister actually forgot had happened.
“The apprehension of emails exchanged between Pedro Nuno Santos and Hugo Mendes, while they were in government, sets out to obtain information that will allow a more detailed understanding of the process that led to the attribution and political approval of the compensation”, paid to Alexandra Reis in 2022, says the paper.
As an inquiry, this one really ruffles feathers: Mr Nuno Santos is clearly anxious about his “good name”, and the law offices that drafted the compensation agreement are linked to the brother of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
According to CM, PJ police inspectors involved in yesterday’s searches believe that there are “strong indications that several legal provisions were violated”.
Already, one consultant at the law firm SRS Legal has been made an “official suspect”, but it is unlikely that the list of suspects will stop there.
At issue in this probe – which it has to be said is taking its time – are suspicions of crimes of mismanagement, receipt and/ or offer of undue advantage, economic participation in business and abuse of power.
When CM prepared its text for today’s print edition, its reporters say that both Pedro Nuno Santos and Hugo Mendes were approached for comments, but declined to provide them.
It must have been after this that Pedro Nuno Santos took to Instagram.
As for the ‘bumper compensation’ paid out by TAP, most of it has already been paid back by Alexandra Reis. There is no further money due for repayment, as the former manager was also paid for unused holiday benefit, etc.
Regarding ‘next steps’, investigators are reportedlyl also looking into the ‘false information’ TAP originally offered the Market and Securities Commission as the reason for Ms Reis’ departure.
Initially, this was given as ‘mutual accord’. It later transpired that Ms Reis left due to an ‘incompatible situation’ with TAP’s then executive president – a woman currently suing the airline for millions of euros, alleging unfair dismissal.
This example of what could be termed a ‘cluster shambles’ caused five people to resign, among them Pedro Nuno Santos.
Source material: LUSA/ Correio da Manhã/ SIC Notícias
