The President of the PSD party called for an explanation today regarding the actions of the SIS in recovering a computer that was in the possession of the former aide of Minister Joao Galamba. He also criticized the Prime Minister for not yet speaking about the matter. Speaking to journalists at the Ovibeja agricultural fair, Luis Montenegro stated that the actions of the Security Information Service (SIS) in this case “must be fully clarified.”
“In a rule-of-law state with legal and constitutional rules, it is not possible for the intelligence services to be called upon to perform tasks at the direction of the government, a government member, or even a member of a government office,” he said.
Montenegro stressed that “intelligence services are not at the disposal of the government for the tasks it wishes to request,” noting that this practice is not provided for in law or the Constitution.
“The intelligence services have their own law governing their operation and have a secretary-general, who must ensure compliance with the law and must inform the Prime Minister, who in turn must inform the President of the Republic,” he added.
In this sense, the PSD party leader raised questions that he believes have not yet been clarified, such as whether the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister have already been informed about the actions of the SIS.
“Did he [the Prime Minister] give the order? Who gave the order? What does the Secretary-General of the Republic’s Intelligence System have to say? And what does the Prime Minister have to say?” he asked.
In his statements to journalists, Montenegro also noted the Prime Minister’s absence in addressing the matter, asking: “Where is the Prime Minister? Where is the Prime Minister?”
“The first time the PSD party leader asked the Prime Minister for clarification on the events surrounding the work of the TAP parliamentary inquiry was on April 3,” he said.
Pointing out that he has already requested clarification from the Prime Minister 27 days ago and has not yet received a response, the PSD party leader accused Costa of “hiding behind formal or semantic issues.”
“The country is not waiting for a silent word from the Prime Minister,” he warned, indicating that “Portugal needs a word of tranquility and motivation for the government leader to be able to continue on his path.”
“If that word does not exist, if the Prime Minister hides behind all these controversies, it is further proof that he is sincerely lacking in leadership strength to continue in his role,” he added.
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