The Attorney General's Office is taking a keen interest in the aborted sale of TAP in late 2102 when Gérman Efromovich’s Synergy group ended up as the only bidder yet was denied the prize on a trumped up condition allowing Pedro Passos Coelho to pull the sale.
A secret investigation was started last year and has been extended due to the discovery of 'new facts.'
When questioned about whether there was an ongoing investigation, the Attorney General's Office spokesman said that there are "investigations related to TAP and that these investigations are secret so it is not possible to specify the object of the process."
In fact, investigations have been conducted by the Judicial Police since late 2013 looking at influence peddling and corruption during the TAP privatisation process.
The research focuses on the TAP sales process, initiated by the Government in 2012 and which ended abruptly in December 2012 with the rejection of the offer by Gérman Efromovich as he had not supplied bank guarantees, not that he had been asked to until the last minute.
Efromovich had not supplies bank guarantees as this was not specified in the bidding process documentation, but was happy to do so had his bid been accepted.
The reason for pulling the sale on this pretext was to protect the Prime Minister’s friend and former business colleague the then Minister Miguel Relvas (pictured) as suspicions of his behind-the-scenes involvement were starting to surface in parliament, much to the PM's unease.
A report released in May 2013 by the Special Committee for the Monitoring of the Privatisation of TAP (CEAP) raised serious concerns as to the suitability of Germán Efromovich as TAP’s potential new owner.
"The risks of accepting the proposal (from Gérman Efromovich) were high in terms of the financial execution and implementation."
The CEAP report spared no criticism of the way the attempted sale of TAP in 2012 was carried out, mainly over the timing which left no time for the committee to do its job.
Miguel Relvas was under increasing suspicion as the bidding process continued, suspicion voiced by the socialist deputy Rui Paulo Figueiredo who said in December 2012 -
"Now we know the relationship between Minister Miguel Relvas and the potential purchaser of TAP, German Efromovich, various law firms, and Brazilian and Portuguese consultants."
Two years later the airline still has no date for its sale.
TAP would not comment on any investigation and claims it is unaware of any such probe.
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Update from the Daily Mail ... great news - a new Portuguese Prosecutor. Although spot the Portuguese trolls already busy re-tweeting the comments !
Ms Sequeira is said to be 'utterly determined' to solve the case, bringing fresh hope to the child's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann. 'Ines is still trying to get her feet under the table and is having to be briefed on scores of cases including Madeleine’s,
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2789022/new-female-lead-prosecutor-appointed-portuguese-officials-madeleine-mccann-investigation-determined-solve-case-seven-years-child-vanished.html#ixzz3Fr5gokse
But, note that she has 'SCORES OF MISSING CHILDREN CASES' to get up to speed on.
Remember - over 1500 minors are trafficked through or in Portugal every year. Because its weak !
And like all officialdom in Portugal - will she make any sort of difference ?
And if she starts to be effective - will she be re-assigned ?
and 'Relvas-managed reforms fell well short of expectations'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_Relvas
It would help if we could be sure this chap was the last of his breed - but common sense tells us there are thousands like him at national, regional and local levels of public life in Portugal.
Still wheeling and dealing with government and EU money ! Still holding Portugal back.
Send for todays Captains and let us have a proper revolution this time !
Us north Europeans can organise it .. this time making sure the bad guys are weeded out - as they are not 'friends and family' of ours.
For the good of the EU as a whole.
Psssst - meet in Grandola like last time ? And Ssshhh. Walls have ears etc
Too weak to stand on its feet now as a 'national flag carrier'; too unimportant and too late to combine with other 'national flag carriers' .... yet unable to make the changes necessary to mutate into a low cost carrier.
Yet Portugal insists that a new buyer does what it cannot - keep all their planes and crew in the air. No job losses, no cut backs.
Indeed TAP have just bought 3 new planes and are recruiting 30 more pilots ?
Not a viable business model - like Portugal Telecom's. Out of date and now - out of time.