Summary:
Luís Montenegro denies allegations of benefiting a company while at SP&M.
Describes claims as a "campaign of misinformation".
Legal opinion in question favored Alexandre Barbosa Borges (ABB).
Montenegro clarifies the relationship between the legal act and the concrete supply as "abusive".
No infractions found by the Court of Auditors in their audit.
Montenegro Responds to Allegations
On April 1st, Luís Montenegro addressed reports suggesting that while serving as a lawyer for SP&M, he had benefited a company involved in the construction of his house in Espinho. He characterized these claims as a "flagrant and inconceivable campaign of misinformation and manipulation of facts".
The Legal Opinion in Question
The controversy revolves around a legal opinion requested by the Espinho City Council from SP&M in 2020, which reportedly favored the construction company Alexandre Barbosa Borges (ABB). According to Expresso on March 28, it emerged that ABB might have supplied concrete for the Prime Minister's residence. The following day, Correio da Manhã reported on the matter, further fueling the allegations.
Clarification from Montenegro's Office
In a statement released by his office, Montenegro clarified that the legal information produced by SP&M was simply a "simple legal question between two companies providing services to the City Council", specifically between a public works contractor and a works supervision company.
He emphasized that any attempt to link this legal act with a concrete supply ordered and paid for three years earlier by a different contractor was "more than abusive".
Audit by the Court of Auditors
Montenegro also highlighted that the situation regarding additional works and the decisions made by the City Council were subject to an audit by the Court of Auditors, which found no evidence of any infractions. The Court audited the procedures and subsequently archived the case.
Ongoing Criminal Investigation
According to Expresso, there is an ongoing criminal investigation by the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action in Porto, targeting ABB and the renovation of the railway channel in Espinho — the largest public work contracted by the municipality. SP&M is involved in the case due to its legal services to the Espinho City Council, which includes opinions on disputes between ABB and the works supervision company.
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