The accusations are flying in the VIP Taxpayers List scandal as Paulo Ralha, the taxpayers union boss, said today that of course there was a list and that it was drawn up by senior officials and had "political endorsement."
Paul Ralha added that the Secretary of State for Fiscal Affairs, Paulo Nuncio, (pictured) is unable to continue in office as he knew about the list and is still denying its existence.
Ralha told MPs today that the VIP Taxpayers List was prepared and checked by several directors of the Tax Authority and whenever any of his workers accessed the file of someone on the VIP List they were summoned to explain why they had done so.
The union leader said he had no definitive proof that the Secretary of State was aware of this list, but said he believed that the procedure had "political backing."
Ralha said that there had been an obvious change of procedures at the tax office as when there were signs that someone accessed certain VIP tax files, an electroic record was sent to management.
Suspicions and warnings about some sort of VIP List were circulating late last year among staff as employees who started investigations on high profile 'names' were summoned. Before this there had been "no disciplinary proceedings" if a tax worker accessed the file of someone important.
As for the Secretary of State, Ralha said he had "nothing tangible, nothing concrete," but said the list would have been delivered by Nuncio, adding, "No administration in this country implements such a process without the knowledge and approval of politicians."
Asked about the profile of the taxpayers on the list, Ralha said he was aware that Passos Coelho, Paulo Portas, and Manuel Pinho the former Minister of the Economy are on the list as every time their records are accessed staff are summoned to explain why.
Asked about why he thought Paulo Nuncio knew of the list, Ralha said that, "If the Secretary of State did not know - and his office is 300 metres from the office of the Director General of the Tax Authority – then he must be incapable of managing the department.”
Among those involved in the cover up, and in the opinion of Ralha are unable to continue in office, is the head of Internal Audit, Vitor Lourenço, the General Director of IT, Graciosa Delgado, Morujão Oliveira the Head of IT Security, and José Maria Pires the Deputy of the Tax Justice department who anyway has resigned.
Ralha may seem to be sticking his neck out but in fact is on safe ground as the VIP list was announced in a training session for tax inspectors in January this year, there is even an audio tape of the head of audit at the Tax Authority, Vitor Lourenço, announcing the existence of the list that has been christened by management the "VIP package."
The recording was made during a training session for 300 tax inspectors, 200 more had the same trainings session later the same day.
In the recording you can hear the head of audit explaining the VIP List and revealing what happens if a VIP record is accessed yet according to Secretary of State Paulo Nuncio and the Finance Minister Maria Luis Albuquerque, the list simply does not exist.
Names on the list that officially does not exist include Paulo Portas, Cavaco Silva, José Sócrates, Manuela Ferreira Leite, Ricardo Salgado, Cristiano Ronaldo and José Mourinho, even the mother of José Sócrates, Adelaide Monteiro is registered as are António Costa, former ministers Miguel Relvas and Manuel Pinho, and BESI's boss Jose Maria Ricciardi.
Comments
All that is needed is to have all the current and future tax officers sign a non-disclosure order. Then none of this would ever be discussed again in the public domain. Unless in the 'public interest'
In a developed country it would be taken as read that a tax officer, like any public servant has a duty to act with the utmost integrity and to the best of their ability. Which would also include 'whistle blowing in the public interest'.
But this is Portugal - so tax evasion, money laundering, bribes, corruption and basic dishonesty by the VIP's will continue unchecked as nowadays.
And these people want to remain in the European Union ?