Lisboa, 08 set 2026 (Lusa) - Members of the Defence Committee unanimously approved on Tuesday a parliamentary hearing with Minister Nuno Melo regarding the process of acquiring three frigates from Italy under the SAFE European loan scheme.
In addition to the hearing with Nuno Melo, proposed by the PSD, CDS-PP and Chega, the committee also approved a motion to invite the Portuguese company NT Group (NTG) to provide clarification to the committee – a proposal put forward by André Ventura's party, with the PS and Livre abstaining.
At the heart of this controversy lies a news article that the online newspaper 24Horas published in August concerning Portugal's acquisition of three frigates from the Italian manufacturer Fincantieri; the article said that the Portuguese company NTG, which was due to act as an intermediary in the deal, allegedly withdrew at the last minute, causing it to forgo €90 million in commissions.
The Defence Minister, who denied the existence of intermediaries in a deal between states, has since announced that he will take legal action against the newspaper and Chega leader and MP Pedro Frazão for their comments on social media about the case.
The committee debate featured a spirited exchange of views between the PSD, the CDS-PP and Chega.
Social Democrat MP José Lago Gonçalves was the first to criticise «a summer full of insinuations and untruths in the news and on social media», which led the two parties to propose the minister's hearing.
Speaking on behalf of Chega, Nuno Simões de Melo said he was uncertain whether «there are untruths or truths», but that hearing the minister could contribute to «some transparency».
«That is our duty as MPs: to be able to scrutinise,» he said.
Later, Bruno Ventura, a PSD MP and member of the Superior Council of National Defence, accused Chega of «political bipolarity», arguing that whilst the party is now concerned with «interest rates and grace periods», the videos posted on social media by André Ventura and Pedro Frazão «spoke of backroom deals».
«We should ask questions before making accusations,» he noted.
João Almeida, a member of parliament for the CDS-PP, also pointed out that «over the summer, Chega accused – rather than asked – specific individuals of criminal practices» such as «backroom deals» and «corruption».
Simões de Melo argued that the Chega parliamentary group comprises 60 MPs «with their own minds», but the PSD and CDS-PP insisted that the party leader's statements were at issue.
Speaking for the PS, Luís Dias regretted that the issue had sparked controversy, considering that it discredits the Ministry of Defence, and argued that the Socialists had anticipated that such a scenario might arise when they proposed a subcommittee last year to monitor SAFE investments – a proposal they will once again press for during this parliamentary session.
As for the hearing concerning NTG, Luís Dias considered that «calling in a specific company is a bit of a circus act», and disagreed with the proposal.
In the same vein, Patrícia Gonçalves, an MP for Livre, said it was important to hear from the minister so the matter «can be clarified», but not from the company, as she believes parliament is not the appropriate forum.
In August, the Ministry of Defence rejected the claims made in the 24Horas report, maintaining that the process is taking place between the Portuguese and Italian states, «not with companies», and that «no Portuguese company has ever participated, even for a single day, in the procurement process involving the Portuguese and Italian states».
NTGroup (NTG) also said it was not part of the «formal intergovernmental negotiating team», nor did it take part in the final meetings on the acquisition of the frigates, emphasising that it is not claiming any payment from the Portuguese State.
Portugal is set to acquire three new-generation Italian-built frigates, representing an investment of around €3.9 billion, funded under the European SAFE loans totalling €5.8 billion – one of the largest defence investments ever.
ARL/ADB // ADB.
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