The CEO of TAP Air Portugal, Christine Ourmières-Widener, and the chairman, Manuel Beja, will be removed from their positions at the airline. They had been ahead of the company since June 2021.
The decision was taken by the government of the country after the report by the Inspectorate General of Finance (IGF) related to the compensation of 500 thousand euros given to Alexandra Reis, who was appointed Secretary of State for Minister Fernando Medina.
The announcement was made this Monday (6th) by the Minister of Finance, Fernando Medina, who explained that the dismissal of the two administrators was carried out for just cause, with no compensation being paid to the two professionals.
Justifying the announced decisions, Fernando Medina also said that “the government takes the decisions it deems necessary for the proper functioning of TAP and for a turning of the page”. The Minister of Infrastructure, João Galamba, was also present at the announcement of the decision.
Questioned by journalists, the ministers clarified that the rest of the airline’s management will not fall. According to them, the current president of SATA, Luís Rodrigues, will assume the two positions on a temporary basis, and the Minister of Infrastructure said that a president of the executive committee should be appointed later.
“Facing the problems head on as we do and in a complete way, I have full confidence that TAP will successfully pursue the path of its future sustainability, which will involve the privatization of part of its capital”, said the Minister of Infrastructure.
Despite recognizing “the merits of the current administration” in implementing the company’s plan, Fernando Medina considered that this episode shook the confidence that the Portuguese had in TAP.
“It was essential to recover that bond of trust between the country and the company. TAP is not just any company, it is a special company in our country, due to its size and economic importance. We believe that it was important to mark this turning of the page in order to have a stabilization”, he underlined.
Fernando Medina also guaranteed that he was confident that the airline would continue, “successfully”, on the path to sustainability, which involves “the privatization of part of its capital”.
Regarding the political consequences of this process, the government official stated that he cannot be criticized for the decisions he did not take, stressing that he “fully assumes” the responsibilities that fall to him.
The IGF’s verification of the legality of the compensation paid to Alexandra Reis was determined on December 27 last year by the Minister of Finance, Fernando Medina, and by the then Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Pedro Nuno Santos.
Alexandra Reis spent just 25 days as Secretary of State for the Treasury at the Ministry of Finance, led by Medina. She left at the end of 2022 and later overthrew the entire Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing, with Nuno Santos as minister.
Source: CNN Brasil
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