“In view of all the issues that have been raised and are being raised before the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing, it is important to clarify the following:

1. After the change of shareholder in TAP SA and TAP SGPS, which led to the departure of the private shareholder Humberto Pedrosa, the CEO of TAP requested permission from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing to replace the administrator named by the private shareholder. through obvious incompatibility, intransigence between the General Director and a member of the Board of Directors;

2. In order to maintain the proper functioning of the Executive Committee and hence the successful implementation of the Restructuring Plan, permission was given to terminate the contract of engineer Alexandra Reis;

3. In this context, TAP initiated a process in January 2022 to terminate the contract of engineerª Alexandra Reis;

4. As a result of this process, TAP informed the Minister of Infrastructure that the lawyers had reached an agreement protecting the interests of TAP. The Secretary of State for Infrastructure, within the framework of the relevant delegation of authority, saw no inconsistencies between the original mandate given to the TAP Board of Directors and the solution found;

5. The entire process was overseen by TAP’s legal departments and an external law firm hired to advise on these processes, and no information was sent that there were legal doubts about the agreement being signed. other possible alternatives to the payment of appropriate compensation;

6. However, as the Minister now became aware of the terms of the agreement, and in view of the doubts that had arisen at the same time, he asked the TAP to clarify the process;

7. After the clarifications given by TAP, which prompted the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing and the Minister of Finance to submit the process to the CMVM and IGF, the Secretary of State for Infrastructure understood that, given the circumstances, he should submit his dismissal;

8. Taking into account the public opinion and the collective feelings that have arisen around this case, the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Pedro Nuno Santos, intends to assume political responsibility in this context and has submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister.”

Antonio Costa resigned

“I accepted the resignation letter submitted to me by the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing and Public Utilities.

I would like to publicly express my gratitude for the dedication and dedication with which he carried out state functions during these 7 years, both in the areas of his direct responsibility and in determining the general political orientation of the Government.

I particularly commend his decisive contribution to creating the conditions for political stability as Secretary of State for Parliamentary Affairs and the energy with which he carried out his current duties, namely in the field of railway and housing policy.

From a personal point of view, I highly appreciate the camaraderie that has developed over the years of working together.”