'Teflon Man,' Paulo Portas, the former deputy prime minister in the Passos Coelho government, has been cleared in court of exerting any undue inflence in a building contract awarded to Mota-Engil, where he acts as a consultant.
The tendering process and award to build the NATO school in Oeiras was questioned by the failed bidder, Tecnorém, which claimed that Mota-Engil got the MOD contract because the Director General of National Defence Resources, Alberto Coelho, is a high ranking CDS-PP party member and that he favored Mota Engil due to his connections to Paulo Portas.
The Tax and Administrative Court of Leiria rejected the appeal filed by Tecnorém against the Ministry of Defence after the company lost the tender for the construction of the NATO Communications School.
The work, estimated at €21.5 million, was won by Mota-Engil, where the former minister and former leader of the CDS, Paulo Portas, acts as a consultant after he left politics.
One of the allegations submitted by Tecnorém, which the court considered unfounded, was based on the fact that Alberto Coelho favored Mota-Engil after Paulo Portas ‘had a word,’ resulting in the Tecnorém’s bid being rejected.
The tender was launched in 2016. Eight submissions were judged on price and technical quality, with Tecnorém winning as it was considered to be the "most economically advantageous," with Mota-Engil coming in second.
Tecnorém then was accused of making false declarations and of lacking the necessary construction skills at the time the tender was submitted. The company said it had certain licences which in fact it did not hold at the moment of submitting its proposal.
Mota-Engil had the second most economically advantageous offer at €19.5 million and got the job.
The problem with Paulo Portas and many other former politicians who are handed top ‘consultancy’ positions, is that every time a contract is awarded or a decision made which disadvantages an independent third party, the suspicion is that corruption, favouritism and undue influences have been at play.
The revolving door between business and politics is poorly policed as those in charge of making the rules are those that later may benefit from cushy and well-paid consultancies and directorships.
Mota-Engil is run by convicted tax fraudster, António Mota, who gave Portas the job of head of the company's International Council.
See also: 'Paulo Portas accused of "influencing" €20 million construction project'
and
'Paulo Portas to head up Mota-Engil’s International Council'
