PSD considers that Costa confirms that he “interfered with Banco de Portugal”
Speaking to journalists, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento responded to António Costa’s answers to the questions put to him by the PSD on 23 November last, after former Banco de Portugal governor Carlos Costa accused him of pressure and “political intrusions ” in the process of removal of businesswoman Isabel dos Santos from BIC, sent to parliament on Tuesday.
“The Prime Minister confirms that, in fact, he interfered with the Bank of Portugal, both in relation to the engineer Isabel dos Santos, and in the process of resolving and selling Banif”, considered the PSD deputy.
On the other hand, the social-democratic parliamentary leader accused the prime minister of, “as in many other matters”, not responding to questions.
“The PSD asked 12 questions, hoping that the prime minister would answer question by question, not least because they are individual and some of them have a direct answer, and the prime minister presented a composition with a set of elements that are not new and did not clarify what the PSD asked”, he says.
Miranda Sarmento adds that even the documents that António Costa envies with the seal of confidentiality were already part of the collection of a previous commission of inquiry and that were then released by the media.
In the responses sent to parliament, the prime minister states that he never took steps with Banco de Portugal “or anyone else” in favor of the suitability of Isabel dos Santos and only acted to seek to resolve the shareholder blockade in BPI.
As for questions about Banif, António Costa referred that the Bank of Portugal, led by Carlos Costa, concluded in December 2015 that the sale of Banif by resolution to Santander was the only alternative to liquidation, and led the process.