Initial information was that the cable had been used “for around six years”, but this was corrected in the GPIAAF preliminary report. Carris claims that he “never provided incorrect information” as described in the Expresso news.
The Glória elevator cable, in Lisbon, which did not meet required specifications, had been used since 2022, according to the GPIAAF preliminary report. However, the initial information indicated by Carris, according to the newspaper Expresso, was that it had been used “for around six years”.
The news was released this Friday by indicated that the municipal company “gave wrong information to the investigation into the accident with the Glória elevator“, making an analysis between the information note from the Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Aircraft Accidents and Railway Accidents (GPIAAF), released three days after the tragedy, and the GPIAAF preliminary report, completed within 45 days and released on Monday.
A The date initially announced regarding the use of this type of cable was 2019, which made the previous management of Carrisas well as the previous mayor of Lisbon, Fernando Medina (PS), since the municipality is the sole shareholder of this public transport company.
In light of the Expresso news, the current administration of Carris – under the leadership of Pedro de Brito Bogas, who resigned on Wednesday, a resignation that was accepted by the Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas (PSD) – clarified that “never provided the information mentioned in the news, primarily because at the time he was investigating the facts regarding the acquisition of the cable“.
“The aforementioned data is not included in the vast documentation that Carris sent to the GPIAAF, as part of the investigation. The board of directors of Carris has not, to date, been questioned by the GPIAAF as part of the investigation”, indicated the municipal company, in a statement.
Lusa attempted a reaction from the office of the Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas (PSD), who referred it to Carris.
Giving wrong information is “very serious”
Speaking to the Lusa agency, the recently elected PS councilor Alexandra Leitão said, however, that “Providing incorrect information to the office that inspects accidents, whether deliberately or not, is very serious“.
Alexandra Leitão considered the change in dates regarding the use of this type of cable, going from 2019 to 2022, is also relevant on a political level, highlighting that the GPIAAF’s first document was released before the October 12th local elections and “had a wrong date, because, deliberately or not, the Carris provided this wrong information“.
“Wrong information that also, deliberately or not, obviously benefited, objectively, the candidate at the time Carlos Moedaswho used this to remove responsibility, as, in fact, he has done throughout this process”, declared the socialist, remembering that the current and re-elected mayor of Lisbon “he was very quick and quick to, without speculating, shake off the water from his coat” when the informative note from GPIAAF came out, with the attribution of responsibility to the previous municipal mandate 2017-2021, led by the PS.
Speaking before Carris’ reaction to the Expresso news, Alexandra Leitão said that the PS council in the Lisbon City Council will submit a request to clarify “who provided this incorrect information” and based on which documents: “If it is concluded that the information was incorrectly provided, if it was deliberate, it is very serious, it is even a crime. If it was not deliberate, it is still very serious, very, very serious.”
In a statement, BE councilor Beatriz Gomes Dias considered, in turn, that “These failures are very serious and reveal a culture of opacity and irresponsibility in the management of Carris and Lisbon City Council“, having advanced with a request demanding “urgent explanations about the false information provided by Carris” to the GPIAAF.
For BE, the dismissal of the current administration of Carris “It is a first step, but it is absolutely insufficient given the scale of the problem“.
In this regard, the PCP recalled the request presented on Wednesday at an extraordinary meeting of the municipal executive requesting further clarification following the GPIAAF’s preliminary report, but which has not yet received a response.
The PCP’s questions are about the guidelines and respective timetable for Carris to comply with the recommendations of the GPIAAF preliminary report and what is expected regarding the review of the contractual relationship with the company providing maintenance services, as well as the status of the internal and external audit carried out by Carris in the context of the accident.
The derailment of the Glória elevator, under the management of the municipal company Carris, occurred on September 3 and caused 16 deaths and two dozen injuriesbetween Portuguese and foreigners of various nationalities.
