Portugal’s ruling Socialist Party wants to pull in the former Economy Minister, Manuel Pinho, “as soon as possible” so MPs can hear first hand as to the origin of €2,110,672.80, received between July 2002 and June 2012 in offshore accounts, for his personal use.The leader of the Socialist Party, Carlos César, said they are "obviously interested in knowing what former Minister Pinho has to say about this unusual case."
MPs want to, "scrutinise all the decisions that Pinho personally took while he was minister,” and that time is of the essence.
The "unusual case" to which Carlos César refers was reported on 19 April by the Observador online and includes allegations that Manuel Pinho received between €1 million and €1.5 million between 2006 and 2012, a figure that later was raised to a wondefully precise, €2,110,672.80.
This figure includes €14,963.94 a month during the period in which Pinho was Minister of Economy in the José Sócrates government, even though Pinho stated, "On March 10, 2005, I ceased my professional relationship with BES / GES, since I accepted the invitation to join the XVII Constitutional Government."
The payments, according to the newspaper, were made from Espírito Santo Enterprises (ES-Enterprises) based in the British Virgin Islands to an offshore company controlled by Manuel Pinho, called the Tartaruga Foundation, based in Panama.
The payments, according to the newspaper, were made from Espírito Santo Enterprises (ES-Enterprises) based in the British Virgin Islands to an offshore company controlled by Manuel Pinho, called the Tartaruga Foundation, based in Panama.
The transfers are alleged to have been carried out 'by order of Ricardo Salgado' to Manuel Pinho. Salgado's BES bank was a major shareholder in EDP which benefitted from certain of Pinho's decisions on CMEC support payments.
MPs should get to hear Pinho excuses and explanations before the public Prosecutor’s Office which also is investigating the claims.
