Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has expressed strong confidence in Interior Minister Luís Neves, saying the minister will provide necessary clarifications in the coming days regarding allegations surrounding his conduct. Speaking in São João da Madeira, Montenegro stressed that Neves would remain a highly competent minister and urged respect for ongoing investigative authorities.
The right-wing Chega party has filed a formal request for a parliamentary inquiry into Neves's tenure as national director of the Judicial Police, citing undisclosed interest declarations and alleged conflicts involving contracts awarded to a construction firm. The inquiry, set to begin in September, will also examine a seized trailer linked to a drug trafficking probe later found on the company's premises.
Neves addressed the controversies publicly for the first time, speaking for nearly 50 minutes, but Transparency International Portugal said his explanations were not sufficiently clear to resolve the issues.