The deputies on the Defense Committee approved today, unanimously, the parliamentary hearing of Minister Nuno Melo on the process of acquiring three frigates from Italy, under the framework of European SAFE loans. The hearing was proposed by PSD and CDS-PP, the parties governing in coalition, and by Chega, the right-wing opposition party.
An invitation to Portuguese company NT Group to provide clarification to the committee was also approved, proposed by Chega with abstention from PS and Livre. At the origin of this controversy is a report published by online newspaper 24Horas in August, which stated that an alleged last-minute removal of Portuguese company NTG, which would have participated as intermediary in the operation, led that company to lose 90 million euros in commissions.
The debate was marked by a strong exchange of accusations between PSD/CDS-PP and Chega. The Social Democrat deputies criticized insinuations and falsehoods on social media, while Chega defended that the hearing aims for transparency and scrutiny. Minister Nuno Melo, who denied the existence of intermediaries, announced that he will sue the newspaper, the president of Chega, and Deputy Pedro Frazão for their statements on the case.
Portugal will acquire three next-generation frigates of Italian construction, in an investment of approximately 3.9 billion euros, under the framework of European SAFE loans totaling 5.8 billion. The Ministry of Defense rejected the premises of the report, arguing that the process takes place between the Portuguese and Italian States, not with companies, and that no Portuguese company participated in the acquisition process.
