Former TAP executive president Cristina Ourmier-Widener accused Finance Minister Fernando Medina of blackmailing her and firing her for political reasons. The claims were denied on Tuesday by a government official, who classified them as “false and regrettable.”
Christina Hourmier-Widener told CNN on Monday that the Treasury secretary assured her that he “did nothing wrong, but he had to” fire her “for political reasons.”
“He strongly advised me to resign for the sake of my reputation. I call it blackmail and threatening me, and that’s exactly what he did,” the company’s former CEO said, adding that Fernando Medina told her “that he could get a bonus and that this prize will be discussed” after Ourmier-Widener’s resignation.
In statements sent to Lusa, Fernando Medina denies the manager’s claims.
“The former CEO’s statements about the reasons and manner of her dismissal are false and regrettable,” says the person in charge of the finance department.
“All clarifications were provided by me to the parliamentary commission of inquiry and will be provided again, if necessary, during the legal proceedings that are currently underway,” he adds.
The former CEO of TAP, in an interview with CNN, felt that TAP’s response to the actions taken against the company was “full of lies, attacks and insults.”
“They are trying to destroy my reputation, my past. They say all sorts of lies about me, that I have nothing to do with the success of the company and the positive results,” he said.
Asked whether there would be a chance for a settlement, Ourmier-Widener said she thought “reasonable people could be able to have a meaningful conversation.”
“We’ll see. I don’t know. But I hope that this process will come to an end and end correctly,” he added.
TAP accused Christina Hourmier-Widener of violating the exclusivity regime to which she was obliged at the airline by accumulating several positions in other companies without informing about it or obtaining permission.
The former CEO of TAP was fired for cause in April 2023 following a controversial compensation of half a million euros to former administrator Alexandra Reis, which led to the dismissal of then Infrastructure Minister Pedro Nuno Santos and his Secretary of State Hugo Mendes and the creation of a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the airline’s management.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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