The prime minister’s deputy secretary of state declined this Saturday to clarify what role he played in calling in information services to recover the computer of a former adviser to the minister of infrastructure.
On the sidelines of the PAN congress, which took place this Saturday in Matosinhos, in the district of Porto, António Mendonça Mendez did not respond to reporters about his alleged involvement in the case of the restoration of Frederico Pinheiro’s computer, after the Minister of Infrastructure, Joao Galamba, told the parliamentary commission to investigate the activities TAP that it was this official who told him to contact information services.
“I would like to remind you that there is a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) regarding TAP, everything that the government had to say and have to do with this issue has already been said,” he answered a question from journalists.
According to Antonio Mendons Mendez, “it is important that everyone does what they have to do, the CPI for the management of TAP investigates the facts regarding the management of TAP.”
“In terms of the management of the TAP, the government has the primary responsibility for focusing on the TAP restructuring plan, as well as for carrying out the re-privatization process that has begun. This is what the government’s attention is focused on,” he repeated several times and faced the persistence of journalists with the question of his involvement in this case.
At a parliamentary hearing that lasted more than seven hours at the TAP Political Leadership Commission of Inquiry on Thursday, Joao Galamba also said that he had reported to Prime Minister António Costa as early as around 01:00 on April 27. , events at the ministry and told him “that he was connected to the SIS,” a call that came hours after the first contact attempt, which the chief executive did not answer.
The minister confirmed the version given the day before by his chief of staff, who could have been Eugenia Correia, who reported to SIRP (Information System of the Portuguese Republic) and later contacted SIS but guaranteed that he did not pass on any messages. instructions for calling “secret”.
“My conversation with Antonio Mendonza Mendez ends after Eugenia Correia’s conversation with SIRP,” he said.
The April 26 incidents involve Frederico Pineiro, a former assistant minister, and are linked to allegations against him of alleged physical abuse at the Ministry of Infrastructure and alleged theft of a laptop after he was fired. under investigation, under investigation by the State Department.