Stop hearing finance minister and former mayor Joaquim Morao in Parliament

On Tuesday, Chega demanded the presence of Finance Minister Fernando Medina in Parliament and invited former socialist mayor Joaquim Morao and former Director of Projects and Works of the Lisbon Chamber Helena Bisho to the same hearing.

At a press conference, Chega President Andre Ventura said the request was “not related to the procedural status” of Fernando Medina, but to the need to provide clarifications showing that he was “fit to continue in office”. following the Monday night news broadcast by TVI/CNN Portugal.

“Is it true or not that Fernando Medina wanted to hire Joaquim Morao? Is it true or not that Joaquim Morao’s company was created shortly before the tender for which the work was later awarded? the directors tell the Lisbon City Council office that it was Fernando Medina who gave instructions to hire this company, and not vice versa, as usual? Is it true or not that it was Fernando Medina who pointed Joaquim Morao, three companies, so that he would then be selected? ”He said .

For Ventura, these suspicions “indelibly call into question the morality and fitness of the Secretary of the Treasury.”

In addition to the finance minister, Chega wants to invite the historical socialist Joaquim Morao and Helena Bisho to the same expanded parliamentary hearings.

“If I were finance minister, I would like it to be tomorrow,” he said, urging the PS and other parties to approve the application, which Chega will try to discuss in the Commission on Wednesday.

TVI reported on Monday that Finance Minister Fernando Medina would have been condemned by PS “story” Joaquim Morao, former mayor of Idanha a Nova and Castelo Branco, for alleged involvement in the contract consultation process. signed between the Lisbon City Council (CML) and JLD Consultoria, Unipessoal, Lda., owned by the former mayor.

TVI news also reported that Fernando Medina, who served as president of CML between 2015 and 2021, will be found a defendant in the process following an alleged complaint.

In a written statement sent to newsrooms on Monday evening, the finance minister denied involvement in consultations on the hiring of Joaquim Morao: “I am not aware of any allegations that, if any, are completely false.”

On Tuesday, in a note sent to Agência Lusa, Joaquim Morão said that the company in which he is a partner had entered into a direct agreement with the Lisbon Chamber and refuted the contents of the statements made by TVI/CNN.

“I confirm the public statements of Dr. Fernando Medina that a direct agreement was signed between the Lisbon City Council and the company of which I am a partner, because it is true,” said Joaquim Morao.

Faced with the content of Medina and Morao’s statements, the Chegi leader considered them insufficient.

“What was released yesterday were statements made in the minutes, it’s hard to deny them,” he said, given that Medina “can’t avoid further explanation,” stating that “only that these are false statements or that he doesn’t know about them.”