Joao Cravinho “did not know about the terms of the contract” signed with Marco Capitan Ferreira.

National Defense Minister Helena Carreiras and former portfolio holder Joao Gomes Cravinho were heard this Friday in Parliament over a controversy involving former ruler Marco Capitao Ferreira, accused of Operation Perfect Storm.

The hearing requested by PSD and Chega came two weeks after he submitted his resignation as Secretary of State for Defense, a position he has held since March 2022, preventing him from being heard as well.

Among the cases made public about which MPs want to hear Carreiras and Gomes Cravinho is a consulting contract signed in 2019 between the former secretary of state and the Directorate General of National Defense Resources (DGRDN), which at the time was led by Alberto Coelho, one of the participants in the Perfect Storm legal operation, whose name is associated with the backlog of expenses in the re-qualification of the former Belen military hospital.

João Gomes Cravinho became aware of this contract when he was Minister of Defense. cm. And it was the current MNE that signed the order on January 29, 2019, determining the composition of the negotiating group for the contract for the EH-101 helicopter, which will be coordinated by the DGRDN, which was then headed by Alberto Coelho.

At parliamentary hearings, Joao Cravinho bluntly stated that he “did not know about the terms of the contract” and the absence of prior approval from the Accounts Chamber.

“It was not for me to interfere in the work of the DGRDN”
The former defense minister explained to deputies that it was former CEO Alberto Coelho, accused of corruption, who told him he wanted to hire Marco Capitan Ferreira as an adviser to “provide legal advice” on the renegotiation of the terms of service for the EH-101 helicopters. A decision that came “solely and exclusively from DGRDN and its CEO and the terms of his contract, be it duration or cost.” “My office received this instruction, but it was not my responsibility to interfere in the internal affairs of the DGRDN,” he added.

“When I took office, I quickly realized that he was one of the few people with in-depth knowledge in this very specialized field,” he repeated, praising “his academic and professional career, close association with the defense industry, and performance of duties.” However, he was not aware of the functions that the former Secretary of State would take on under a contract signed with DGRDN. “Because the contract was not signed by me,” he justified.

Cravinho accuses Chega of “political exploitation”
“Judicial decisions are not made here. Political decisions are made,” he warned the deputies present. Faced with Chega’s interference, the former defense minister accused the party of “political exploitation” of the case. “It looks like the burden of proof is on our side and that we are all to blame. We don’t know exactly what this lawsuit is about. We know what the newspapers write,” he defended himself.

To justify the contract, Joao Cravinho stated that “DGRDN has concluded that it needs technical assistance” in order to take on “new responsibilities in January 2019”. “There are hundreds of contracts in public administration at all times,” the current MNE stressed in response to the PSD, stating that he has no obligation to “control” them, otherwise “I wouldn’t do anything more.” “This agreement was sent by the DGRDN. It was not the minister who sent him,” he said.

Helena Carreiras started by bringing something new to the audition by declaring her intention to “continue organic restructuring of DGRDN”. “I believe that the merger carried out in the past between the two main general directorates, the Directorate of Personnel and Military Recruitment and the Directorate of Armaments and Defense Infrastructure, represented a huge overload of human resources, concentrated managerial powers in the hands of a few and created risks that it is important to minimize,” the minister said.

The Minister of Defense never suspected Captain Ferreira
He then stated that he never found evidence of non-compliance with the law during the period when Marco Capitan Ferreira was in government. “Although I do not know exactly the reasons that led to the search of the residence of Professor Marco Capitao Ferreira, I can assure you that during the period when I worked with him, I never found any indication that the Minister of National Defense did not act in strict accordance with his powers and in accordance with the law,” he stressed. The former secretary of state had the “right profile” for the job and assured her that he was doing what he was hired to do, the minister said. Helena Carreiras spoke at the time to Marco Capitan Ferreira, who “gave her the explanations that were needed at that moment.”

In response to Chega’s deputy André Ventura, the minister confirmed that it was her initiative to invite Marco Capitan Ferreira to the government. “There was no doubt about it, otherwise I would not have invited him to the post of Secretary of State,” he said. He says that after his resignation, he no longer spoke with the former ruler, because he “took political responsibility for being made an argument.” “If there is something to investigate, it will be investigated,” he concluded, identifying himself.

In response to questions posed by Joana Mortagua of Bloco de Esquerda, the Minister of Defense assured that the Military Programming Act was under her tutelage. “Professor Mario Captain Ferreira supported me only in the most technical elements. I will continue to keep the Military Programming Act under my wing,” he stressed. Helena Carreiras believes that “people trust the military” and know that “the defense is working,” she told PCP’s Joao Diaz in response.