Just as Passos Coelho’s party held its PSD conference last weekend, the Socialist opposition declared its intention to push for an inquiry into the controversial submarine deal that led to an eight-year-long court case ending with no convictions.
Announcing its plan, PS parliamentary leader Alberto Martins (pictured) trotted out the Portuguese saying that translates as “if everything is above board, there is nothing to fear”.
But his party’s timing drew strong criticism for government leaders.
PSD party vice-president Teresa Leal Coelho called the move a “destabilisation tactic against Paulo Portas, who was Minister of Defence at the time of the deal,” writes Correio da Manhã newspaper, while the current defence minister Águiar-Branco said the announcement was “opportunistic”, designed to take the media focus off the PSD’s Lisbon jamboree.
Martins, however, maintained this was “the right time” for the country to learn the truth behind the deal that saw Portugal purchase two submarines for a billion euros, and 260 armoured vehicles for another €344 million.
“The PS move follows the court decision to absolve the 10 defendants in the submarine case,” explains Correio da Manhã.
In Germany, two former executives of Ferrostaal, one of the companies in the deal, have already received fines and two-year-suspended jail terms, while ongoing – also in Germany – is the trial of former honorary consul to Portugal Jürgen Adolff, accused of “passive corruption” in the story.
Announcing the PS initiative, Martins said that his party wants to “get to the bottom of who is responsible, by action or omission”, and he warned that if the coalition PSD/CDS-PP majority veto the bid, the PS will advance with a ‘inquérito potestativo’, which means an obligatory inquiry commission.
Among other objectives, the PS wants to identify the obligations of the deal process assumed by the suppliers, and see “how far these have been honoured”.
The inquiry thus hopes to “gauge the extent to which the state’s interest and public money was put at risk”, writes the paper.
Learning of the PS plan, environment minister Moreira da Silva stressed the “total transparency” of the government.
The submarine deal, signed years ago by Paulo Portas, took place during the coalition government of current EC president, Durão Barroso.
