President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told SIC that “it would never occur to him to change a flight for 200 people” in response to a recent controversy that the government is pressuring the TAP CEO to change the flight head of state. “An alternative was found on another scheduled TAP flight the day before,” he added.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa ensures that the idea of changing TAP’s flight plan in March “was rejected by the chief of staff in front of TAP’s own CEO on February 11.”
According to SIC, former Secretary of State for Infrastructure Hugo Mendez pressured the TAP CEO to change the flight of the President of the Republic, who was in Maputo, Mozambique.
TAP CEO Christine Urmier-Widener said in a commission of inquiry on Tuesday that she did not give in to the request and that “the president has found another solution.”