At the end of a meeting of European Union heads of diplomacy in Brussels, when asked whether the revelations of the 'Luanda Leaks' journalistic investigation in any way pinch the portuguese authorities, because no suspicious transactions and allegedly fraudulent schemes were detected with the support of Portuguese facilitators, Augusto Santos Silva said the answer was "simple" and recalled that "the government is independent from independent regulators".
"Under Portuguese law, banking activities are regulated by an authority called Banco de Portugal (BdP), capital market activities are regulated by an entity called Comissão de Mercados de Valores Mobiliários (CMVM). These are two independent regulators from the Government, so the Government has no comments to make", he replied.
Santos Silva added that he is "certain that any information that comes and that contains criminal indications will be investigated by the judicial authorities and any information that comes and that has evidence of a counter ordenal nature will be investigated by the respective entities".
"Independence counts both ways: they are independent from the Government and the Government is also independent from independent regulators," he said.
Asked whether these revelations could harm relations between Portugal and Angola, the minister commented that the answer is still "easier", adding immediately afterwards that the same "is: not at all, on the contrary".
"And, by the way, allow me to take this opportunity to say that perhaps now we understand better the insistence of the Portuguese Foreign Affairs Minister, since at least December 2015, to maintain the best possible relationship with the Angolan authorities, to maintain the level of relations between the two states at the highest levels, because it is precisely this relationship that allows both countries to defend their interests and both countries to cooperate so that the relationship between their respective economies is good, because it is clear and transparent," he commented.
Finally, questioned whether he has had the opportunity to speak with his Angolan counterpart since the publication of the 'Luanda Leaks' research, Santos Silva commented that "today not yet", recalled the regular contacts that both have and said that there is no need to speak specifically on this matter soon.
"Not yet today. I've been in Mozambique since Wednesday, then I quickly went home to change and came to Brussels yesterday morning. But I must also say that I do not need [to speak], because I speak regularly enough, I speak deep enough and I speak frankly enough so that things are clear for both of us. As a matter of fact, I must remember that the last time I met with the Angolan authorities I accompanied the President of the Republic of Portugal in Maputo last Wednesday, around 4pm local time, and then I held a joint press conference with my colleague and friend, the Angolan Foreign Minister, Manuel Augusto," he concluded.
