Luís Neves orders audit of Ministry of Internal Administration following official's dismissal

Portuguese Minister of Internal Administration Luís Neves has announced a broad audit by the General Inspection of Finance into the contracting and activities of the Ministry's General Secretariat and SIRESP. This decision follows the dismissal of the former Secretary-General, Ricardo Carrilho.

Carrilho has characterized his removal as an act of retaliation, alleging that Neves applied illegitimate pressure regarding a proposed 26 million euro payment to SIRESP, a public company managing the state's emergency network. Carrilho claims he refused to authorize the operation due to a lack of legal grounds and had previously proposed restructuring the company to prevent it from becoming a drain on public funds.

In response to the controversy, Transparency International Portugal has demanded the disclosure of communications, including emails and official documents, between the Ministry's cabinet and the General Secretariat. The organization emphasizes that the dismissal of an official who requests written confirmation of orders—a constitutional guarantee—requires documented explanations rather than mere statements.