TAPgate: Resignations in Portugal’s authorities over dispute over severance funds

Portugal’s infrastructure minister has resigned amid a rising controversy over state airline TAP’s severance package deal.

Pedro Nuno Santos stated in a expression that he was taking “political accountability” for the matter and was resigning “on account of public notion and collective sentiment.”

The minister’s overseas minister, Hugo Santos Mendes, has additionally resigned.

The TAP Air Portugal severance controversy was first reported Day by day newspaper Correio da Manhã.

On Saturday it was introduced that the state secretary within the Portuguese Ministry of Finance, Alexandra Reis, had acquired 500,000 euros in severance pay when she left the airline’s board in February.

She was then appointed head of Portugal’s state-owned air site visitors management firm, earlier than taking over authorities put up in December.

The airline is at present present process a €3.2 billion restructuring course of that has resulted in downsizing and pay cuts within the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Civil Aviation Pilots Union (SPAC) stated Reis’ compensation was “incomprehensible in an organization that’s in a troublesome financial scenario”.

Reis resigned on Tuesday on the request of Portugal’s finance minister, however denies any wrongdoing.

Opposition events have now referred to as for a parliamentary listening to to think about her exit from TAP and whether or not she left voluntarily.

“Classes should be discovered for the longer term,” stated Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Wednesday. “Anybody who takes up public workplace is topic to a radical examination of their previous.”

Nuno Santos stated he requested TAP for “explanations” about Reis’ departure earlier than submitting his resignation.

He’s the second authorities minister to resign inside 9 months after the Socialist Celebration took workplace after the January elections

The previous minister had been traded as one of many successors to Portuguese Prime Minister and social gathering chief Antonio Costa.