Portugal official alleges lack of oversight at SIRESP

Ricardo Carrilho, the former Secretary-General of the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI), has refused to authorize a 2 million euro payment to SIRESP, the state-owned communications provider. Carrilho claims that the company’s administration, led by General Paulo Viegas Nunes, has blocked access to necessary information, preventing effective fiscal oversight and validation of expenses.

In an official communication to Minister Luís Neves, Carrilho stated that SIRESP operates with functional autonomy that prevents the SGMAI from performing its monitoring and control duties. He noted that while the SGMAI is required to pay an annual compensatory indemnity of 26 million euros to SIRESP, it is denied the technical elements required to validate these payments.

Following these allegations, Minister Luís Neves has announced intentions to file a criminal complaint and has ordered an audit of the activities within both the MAI Secretariat-General and SIRESP. Carrilho was dismissed from his position one month after raising these concerns.