Publico, Portugal
Government Accused of Blocking CIA Flight Probe

“E.U. representative Ana Gomes said today that she has requested a meeting with Attorney General Pinto Monteiro to find out why the government has not taken the initiative to move forward with an inquiry into the CIA flights.”

Translated By Brandi Miller

January 24, 2007
Portugal - Publico - Original Article (Portuguese)  

E.U. representative Ana Gomes said today that she has requested a meeting with Attorney General Pinto Monteiro to find out why the government has not taken the initiative to move forward with an inquiry into the CIA flights.

"I had not intended to do this so soon. I had really hoped that it wouldn’t be necessary at all and that the government would take the initiative, but I don't think this matter can wait any longer," the socialist deputy told the Lusa news agency. Gomes is a member of the temporary European Parliament commission responsible for investigation the flights of the CIA in Europe . She is slated to meet with Pinto Monteiro on Friday.

Ana Gomes said that at Friday’s hearing (requested on Monday), she will offer Pinto Monteiro all the evidence available and put to him some of the questions that remain unanswered. "It will be up to the Attorney General to decide" on the opening of an inquiry, she said.

According to the report by Visao journalist Rui Costa Pinto, the Office of the Attorney General is already considering opening an inquiry into the alleged CIA use of Portuguese airports for the illegal transport of prisoners suspected of terrorism,.

Yesterday, the temporary commission looking into the CIA's flights in Europe approved its final report, in which they encourage the authorities in Lisbon to investigate the suspected layovers in Portuguese airports of aircraft operated by the North American secret services.

Defending yesterday’s statement by Carlos Coelho, the President of the European Parliament commission, Ana Gomes denied that the report over-emphasized Portugal's foot-dragging in the final report, saying that, "if there were deputies that demanded answers, there were also those that tried to downplay the situation."

"Oddly, the temporary committee's delegation to Portugal was permitted just a single day for meetings, so that fewer people could be heard," she said. She also recalled "the difficulties" that she had in getting permission to meet with Defense Minster Paulo Portas and former Interior Minister Figueiredo Lopes," and that her proposed visit to the Azores [where the CIA used an airport] was rejected.

[Editor's Note: The European Parliament's temporary committee on secret CIA flights in Europe sent a small group of EU Parliament representatives to Portugal to speak with the government there. They were permitted a single day of meetings with Portuguese officials at the behest of the Lisbon government, which has led some to wonder of Portugal is trying to sweep the issue under the rug].

Portuguese Article Below

Ana Gomes acusa Governo de evitar inquérito aos voos da CIA

January 24, 2007

A eurodeputada Ana Gomes disse hoje que solicitou uma reunião com o procurador-geral da república, Pinto Monteiro, em virtude de o Governo não ter tomado a iniciativa de avançar com um inquérito aos voos da CIA.

"Não tencionava fazer isto tão cedo e até esperava que não fosse preciso e fosse o Governo a tomar a iniciativa, mas achei que não podia esperar mais", disse à agência Lusa a deputada socialista, que pertence à comissão temporária do Parlamento Europeu responsável pela investigação dos voos da CIA na Europa e que vai ser recebida por Pinto Monteiro esta sexta-feira.

Ana Gomes indicou que na audiência de sexta-feira (solicitada na segunda-feira) vai fornecer a Pinto Monteiro todos os elementos de que dispõe e dar conta das questões por responder. "Caberá depois ao procurador-geral decidir" sobre a abertura de um inquérito, disse.

Jornalista da "Visão" faz participação à PGR

A Procuradoria-Geral da República está já a avaliar a abertura de um inquérito sobre a alegada utilização pela CIA de aeroportos portugueses para o transporte ilegal de prisioneiros suspeitos de terrorismo, na sequência de uma participação feita pelo jornalista da "Visão" Rui Costa Pinto.

Ontem, a comissão temporária do Parlamento Europeu sobre os voos da CIA na Europa aprovou o seu relatório final, no qual encoraja as autoridades de Lisboa a investigar escalas suspeitas em aeroportos portugueses de aviões operados pelos serviços secretos norte-americanos.

Em resposta às declarações de ontem do presidente da comissão do PE, Carlos Coelho, Ana Gomes negou a alegada sobrevalorização dada no relatório final a Portugal e afirmou que "se houve deputados que sobrevalorizam, também há deputados que tentaram desvalorizar".

"A delegação a Portugal foi estranhamente reduzida a um só dia, para diminuir o número de pessoas a serem ouvidas", indicou, lembrando também "as dificuldades" que teve para fazer conseguir aprovar a convocatória dos antigos ministros da Defesa Paulo Portas e da Administração Interna Figueiredo Lopes" e que a sua proposta de uma visita aos Açores foi chumbada.