Tiago Petinga/Lusa
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro
The law states that Montenegro must disclose all financial interests that may be conflicted, including the customer list. At issue are the Prime Minister’s relations with the Solverde group, which depends on state licenses to explore casinos.
The Prime Minister is obliged by law to reveal the customer list of Spinumvivathe company of your family that is in the middle of a controversy for implying a conflict of interest, given to operate in the real estate business at a time when the government is advancing with a new soil law.
According to the transparency legislation requires that politicians declare not only their income, but also relevant financial interests, including customer list of the companies with which they are involved. However, Luís Montenegro refused to disclose this information, arguing that it is a matter of respect for customers.
The controversy arose in the debate of the censorship motion, when PS leader Pedro Nuno Santos questioned whether the Spinumviva rendered Solverde Group Serviceswhich holds the concession of several casinos in Portugal. The prime minister recognized the friendship with the group’s shareholders, but ensured that he imposed himself restrictions to avoid any favoritism.
The Solverde Group depends on state concessions For the exploitation of casinos and Montenegro’s personal relationship arouses doubts about their impartiality. With the current contract to expire in December, this government will be launching a new international public tender to grant the game. In addition, the group has a dispute with the state, which can cost to the public coffers 15.5 million euros.
The situation becomes even more delicate because Montenegro is, which means that, legally, continues to be a majority partner of the company. Although he left the company’s management in 2022 and sold his quota to his wife and children, his call remains, since his wife has 70% of the quotas.
The arrival has already asked for a Set of clarifications in writing The Prime Minister on the company’s services and revenues and threatens to request a parliamentary commission of inquiry if Luís Montenegro does not respond.
The party wants to know if “the declarative obligations are fulfilled that are imposed in the terms of article 13 of the Law of the Statute of Deputies [na] Identification of public and private legal persons to whom services were provided ”by this company and“ which customers hired the services of the Spinumviva company ”.
The party led by André Ventura also asks Luís Montenegro if “is in a position to clarify whether contributory obligations arising from the framework of the tax transparency regime of professional law fiscal companies have been complied with, given that there is evidence of the practice of acts of legal consultancy ”.
The arrival also intends that the Prime Minister clarifies “what is the legal validity of the transfer of his quotas in Spinumviva to his wife ”and what was the company’s revenue.
On Friday, the arrival presented a motion of censorship to the government, which was spoiled by the PSD, PS, Il, Be, Free and Pan, with the abstention of the PCP, and which only had the votes favor of his bench and the deputy Not subscribed Miguel Arruda (ex-budget).
Rita Júdice refuses to sell heritage
Montenegro is not the only one who has been in fire due to alleged conflicts of interest because of the Soil Law: Manuel Castro Almeida, Assistant Minister and Territorial Cohesion, and the Minister of Justice, Rita Júdiceand the work, Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho, also have participation in companies operating in the real estate sector.
It is recalled that Hernani Dias, former secretary of state of local administration and territory planning, also following the revelation that he founded two real estate companies after entering the government.
The Minister of Justice confirmed on Sunday that she declared the entity of transparency the participation in four companies of the real estate, and that does not intend to undo this heritage – refusing to be able to benefit from the alteration of the law of rustic soils.
“The social participation held by the Minister of Justice in family businesses were all declared to the transparency entity, which operates with the Constitutional Court and which registers and oversees the income and interests of the holders of public office,” said the Office of Rita Alarcão Judice.
In the note, the ruler ensures that “societies do not have any properties With a vocation so that they can benefit from the Soil Law, there is no conflict of interest ”and that” it has no intention to get rid of their personal heritage, built with their work and that of their families. “
