During searches at the residence of Frederico Pinheiro, former deputy of then Minister João Galamba, the Judicial Police (PS) seized an external drive containing numerous documents, some of them classified, which the former MP allegedly copied from his office computer. Galamba’s former deputy has now been named as a defendant in the investigation, suspected of illegally accessing classified documents.
During this process, the Ministry of Justice and the SP are investigating the facts that occurred on the night of the incident at the Ministry of Infrastructure, April 26, 2023, when Pinheiro took home the ministry’s computer. That night, Galamba fired Pinheiro from his position, and the minister’s chief of staff, Eugenia Correia, said that for this reason she asked him not to take the laptop.
At the time, Pinheiro suggested that he had taken the computer because, having run out of email and the ministry’s phone number, only by accessing the computer could he gather the information he needed to defend himself. On an external drive found in Pinheiro’s home, PJ experts found several classified documents, such as the TAP restructuring plan and the location of the new Lisbon airport. When contacted, the former MP declined to comment.
In addition to this investigation, Pinheiro is also facing another case, which stems from complaints filed against him for alleged physical abuse on the night of the incident. Galamba’s former deputy has denied committing the attacks and said he was “kidnapped” from the ministry.
Delivery by phone
When he was heard by the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) into TAP, Pinheiro, after being questioned by André Ventura, handed over his mobile phone to the CPI, which was then handed over to the SP. The SP found that all data had been deleted.
SIS intervention
The incident at the Ministry of Infrastructure saw the intervention of the SIS. That night, Galamba’s then chief of staff contacted the SIS, and an agent from that service contacted Pinheiro, to whom he returned the computer.
Author: Antonio Sergio Azenha
Source: CM Jornal

I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.