A Former Secretary of State at the Treasury, Carlos Costa Pina, said today that the report resulting from the investigation into the ‘swaps' financial instruments is an "unsurprising whitewash" to clear the current government of any responsibility.
Speaking to media today, Costa Pina said that the new report was not surprising because it just repeats the fictional account, developed by the current government, that existed before the commission of inquiry started."
A further criticism is that the report "does not reflect the entire content of the work and the information given to committee Members during the numerous hearings."
Carlos Costa Pina considers that the report "gives the idea that everything was bad until 2011, and that everyone was bad except for one person, the current Minister of Finance." The former Secretary added that there is nothing new in the report except the lack of seriousness of the findings."
Costa’s stance is due to the sections of the report that deal with his own behaviour as the preliminary report criticises the former Secretary of State of failing to follow the recommendations of the General Directorate of Treasury and Finance (DGTF) that public companies should ask for permission to sign up for a 'swap' contract.
"By acting as he did, by blatantly ignoring the technical recommendations which have been made, the Secretary of State for Treasury and Finance Carlos Costa Pina did not safeguard the public interest and the careful management of public money" reports the document.
