Inquiry || With the parliamentary inquiry fast approaching the end of its time limit, Paulo Portas was once again in the hot seat this week – facing more inconvenient questions over Portugal’s infamous submarine contra-deals and other questionable defence contracts.
The deputy prime minister, who was in charge of defence when Portugal negotiated the billion euro purchase of two submarines from GSC (the German Submarine Consortium), was due to be grilled over “new evidence” presented to the inquiry by a former GSC manager, since convicted in Germany for bribing foreign officials in both Greece and Portugal.
According to the Portuguese press, Hans-Dieter Mühlenbeck told the inquiry how he had met Portas a year before the controversial submarine deal was signed by the government headed at the time by outgoing European Commission president Durão Barroso.
What intrigued the inquiry, explain newspapers, was that Portas had never mentioned the meeting before.
Portas is alleged to have met Mühlenbeck at Guincho Fortress, just outside Cascais in 2003.
Mühlenbeck was then a manager at Ferrostaal – the company whose name has become synonymous with the whole submarine scandal. He was found guilty by a Munich court in 2011 of bribing foreign officials for Ferrostaal’s economic gain.
When Mühlenbeck gave evidence before the parliamentary inquiry, he described his meeting with Portas at Guincho fortress. He said he had been called for one reason alone, writes Público. “The presentation of bank guarantees by the German company.”
It had nothing to do with the discussion of any contra-deals, stressed Mühlenbeck – but Público maintains MPs are not convinced. They are particularly interested to find out why Portas has never alluded to the meeting.
Meantime, the inquiry is also said to be keen to hear from Durão Barroso and António Guterres – both of whom were in power when the defence contracts under scrutiny were being negotiated.
According to media reports on Tuesday, neither are willing to face the music upfront.
“The intention of both men is to use their legal condition as former prime-ministers to not be present at the inquiry,” writes Correio da Manhã.
Meantime, the inquiry called by opposition MPs, after a judge absolved everyone of any wrongdoing in contra-deals that have never transpired, is due to end on September 20.
