BE says Costa’s response implies an attempt to protect Isabelle dos Santos

This Wednesday, BE said the Prime Minister’s response to Parliament “understands the attempt to protect” Isabel dos Santos “and her role in Eurobic”, accusing Carlos Costa, PS and PSD of washing “dirty laundry”.

“We must say that it follows from the words of the Prime Minister and the answers given by him that there was an attempt to protect the role of Isabelle dos Santos, the daughter of the President of Angola, and her role in Eurobic,” said blogger Mariana Mortagua at a press conference in Parliament.

According to B.E., “this defense, which turned out to be without consequences, if it happens, then it is obvious that this is a serious situation and sets up the subordination of the Portuguese state to the interests of the Angolan elite.”

“What I would like to emphasize is that this position of the Portuguese regime of subjugation to the interests of the Angolan elite took place not only in the mandate and in the António Costa PS. It has been the board of the Bank of Portugal, the board of the PSD and the board of the PS for the last 20 years,” he said.

The blockade MP gave several examples, stating that “it was the Bank of Portugal that authorized the entry of Isabel dos Santos into Eurobic in 2014, when it was already known that the fortune of the president’s daughter [de Angola] it was a fortune stolen from the Angolan people, and many other European countries blocked the Angolan capital.”

“It was the Bank of Portugal that allowed BNI Angola to settle in Portugal despite having hidden shareholders such as the builder José Guilherme and other shareholders such as the son of the BNA president, Banco Nacional de Angola,” they added.

Mariana Mortagua also stressed that “it was the PSD Minister Rui Machete who apologized to the Vice President of Angola, Manuel Vicente, for the money laundering investigation being carried out in Portugal.”

“It was Carlos Cesar, President of PS, who went to the MPLA congress in 2016 to thank the Angolan elite for their contribution to the Portuguese economy,” he added.

As for the blockist deputy, “it should be concluded with some calmness that what is happening between the former governor of Banco de Portugal [Carlos Costa]The parliamentary group of the PS and the SDP is not engaged in laundering Angolan money in Portugal, but in washing dirty linen.”

“This is a revenge between institutions that is linked to the past and has nothing to do with the role of the Angolan elite in Portugal,” he accused.

For the MP, the country is witnessing “unfortunately the fact that Portugal continues to be used for money laundering, this time by the Russian oligarchy, without arousing the interest of either the Bank of Portugal, or the SDP, or the PS.”

PS will request from the Bank of Portugal “all documentation and information” that justifies the intervention of former governor Carlos Costa in the Eurobic/BPI process, Eurico Brillante Dias, leader of the socialist parliament, said this Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, the leader of the PSD parliament believes that the prime minister confirmed in his responses to the party that he “intervened in Banco de Portugal” both in the Isabel dos Santos case and in the Banif settlement process.

Joaquim Miranda Sarmento acknowledged that the party could give a “second chance” and repeat questions to the prime minister or ask new ones about possible intervention in Banco de Portugal before considering a parliamentary inquiry.

António Costa sent a response to questions posed to him by the PSD on November 23 last year to Parliament after former Banco de Portugal Governor Carlos Costa accused him of pressure and “political interference” in the removal of businesswoman Isabel dos Santos. from BIC.

In responses sent to Parliament, the Prime Minister states that he has never taken steps with Banco de Portugal “or anyone else” in favor of Isabel dos Santos’ suitability and has only acted to try to remove the blockade of shareholders in the BPI.

Regarding questions about Banif, António Costa refers to the fact that in December 2015, the Bank of Portugal, led by Carlos Costa, concluded that the sale of Banif by Santander’s decision was the only alternative to liquidation, and led the process.