Ministry of Defense in an abyss of corruption and bottomless shame

Por Abraham Levy

 “Shocking”, “Scandalous”, “bizarre”, “ blatantly illegal”, “third or fourth-world country-like”, “nothing like this before”. These are some of the expressions used to describe what is going on in portuguese Ministry of Defense. The governmental department in charge of defending all portuguese and their territory, is, in fact, a source of major problems. A source of epic coruption. A source of a record number of illegalities, if not of criminal activity in a vital organ of portuguese public power. The responsible? We asked many people to mention a name behind all of these conspiracies, partisan appointments, quid pro quo transactions, exclusions from public procurements issued by portuguese Ministry of Defense (including public companies under its oversight); one name was spelled by every lips – Marco Capitão Ferreira, the current portuguese Secretary of Defense.

Marco Capitão Ferreira, remember this name: if you were illegally ruled out from contracting with portuguese government, this is the person you should prossecute. If you are interested to sign a contract with portuguese government but you don’t know how, this is the person you should talk; this is the person to who you should offer something, as retribution. Typical quid pro quo stuff. Inside the Ministry of Defense of Portugal, his staff and general employees refer to Marco Capitão Ferreira as the portuguese “Santa Clause”. Santa, because “santa” has a divine conotation in portuguese language. “Clause” because it’s a contract clause that Marco Capitão Ferreira dares always to include in portuguese official contracts (in the Defense field) to profit himself from State’s sovereignty needs.

Marco Capitão Ferreira has been a longtime far-left activist, navigating through the Left-Bloc and Socialist Party’s waters. His fast rising to power was due to his deep connection with a prominent far-left portuguese lobbyst called Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira, professor at the University of Lisbon, and portuguese far-left politician, Francisco Louçã.  Francisco Louçã is the historic founder of Left-Bloc; Marco Capitão Ferreira is Francisco Louçã and Left-Bloc’s adviser for military , national security and taxation affairs. Marco Capitão Ferreira was picked by the current portuguese PM António Costa to become Chairman of a new portuguese public military company – IdD, Portugal Defense. This company is responsible for the portuguese State’s acquisitions of military equipment and services – which grants an incredible power to its Chairman. Marco Capitão Ferreira faced this chance as his one lifetime chance to gain real political importance in Portugal, a chance he was so keen on grabbing. Also, Marco Capitão Ferreira couldn’t turn down this portuguese PM António Costa’s invitation: after all, Marco Capitão Ferreira depends heavily on Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira. In fact, Marco Capitão Ferreira is Professor at the University of Lisbon, teaching public finances, Tax Law and EU Law at Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira’s invitation. Without Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira’s support, Marco Capitão Ferreira wouldn’t be anything academically or politically speaking. Thus Marco Capitão Ferreira is another Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira’s Joker to infiltrate in key portuguese government ‘s departments to make sure his law firm dominates the deals with portuguese State and with other public entities.

Marco Capitão Ferreira was nominated to be IdD, Portugal Defense’s Chairman after this company’s predecessor – EMPORDEF – had gone bankrupt amid amjor corruption and scandals allegations. EMPORDEF’s Chairman (João Pedro Martins) denounced to portuguese Attorney General an extensive list of criminal wrongdoings in that company; Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira’s law firm was involved in the majority of these illegalities. As Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira’s wife (Francisca Van Dunem) was at that time Minister of Justice in portuguese government, Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira and António Costa reached an agreement: EMPORDEF was to be closed and a new company was to be created – IdD, Portugal Defense – with a loyal person to Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira as its Chairman. This person was, of course, Marco Capitão Ferreira – as for António Costa, it was a double win: he silenced the scandals coming from EMPORDEF and protected his Minister of Justice, while at the same time flirting with his coalition partner, Left-Bloc party.

In his few months as IdD Portugal Defense’s Chairman, Marco Capitão Ferreira was able to do what it seems impossible: to create another scandals regarding portuguese government’s deals in the military field. Portuguese Navy’s acquisition of ocean patrol ships may very well be one of the biggest scandals of portuguese democracy: Marco Capitão Ferreira decided the contracting party and the terms of the contract (including the funding) violating all applicable rules. Portuguese and european rules, which is extraordinary for a public finances, public procurement and EU Law professor. Marco Capitão Ferreira was fully aware of his misconduct and illegal practices. But Marco Capitão Ferreira was not satisfied yet; he needed more – he needed some luxury to be added to his office. He needed more to satisfy his friends, his partners, his mentors. So, Marco Capitão Ferreira wasted more than 600 000 euros buying stuff to decorate his office and hiring his allies.

For instance, Marco Capitão Ferreira wasted 39 900 euros of portuguese taxpayers to hire the law firm Pais de Vasconcelos & Partners and 19 950 euros to hire David Carvalho Figueiredo Martins’ law firm. What have these people in common? Pedro Pais de Vasconcelos and David Carvalho Figueiredo Martins , according to our source, have been key allies of Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira’s faction at the University of Lisbon (Law School). This faction, confirmed by some lecturers and students at that school, is known as “List C” – Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira is their leader. Marco Capitão Ferreira helped Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira negotiating  his nieces (Ana Paz Ferreira da Câmara Perestrelo de Oliveira and Madalena Paz Ferreira da Câmara Perestrelo de Oliveira) Phd’s success and hiring process to be definitive professors at University of Lisbon at very early age.

Both Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira and Marco Capitão Ferreira are very close to Left Bloc and far-left faction of the Socialist Party. They share another thing: their hate for Israel, for the United States and for NATO. Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira – as Chairman of an academic institute CIDEEFF (Center for Research on Law, Economy, European affairs, Finances and Taxation) of the University of Lisbon – inivited the anti-semite Boaventura de Sousa Santos to lecture with him at the University of Lisbon several times. Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira and Marco Capitão Ferreira have organized over the years many media ops to undermine Israel’s interests in Iberia and Morocco, to spread anti-semite messages allocated public funding  to do so(from his research center at the University of Lisbon). According to our sources, Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira – at portuguese PM António Costa’s request and Marco Capitão Ferreira’s approval – is persecuting supporters of Israel at his law school at the University of Lisbon.

Marco Capitão Ferreira is supporting Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira’s main business and political interests: he adjudicates portuguese Ministry of Defense’s contracts to companies selected by Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira according to his biases and political preferences. Marco Capitão Ferreira – in his official capacity as Secretary of Defense – has been hurting US, Israel’s companies in portuguese (defense field) public procurement violating the national, european and international law to please Eduardo Hintze Paz Ferreira, Boaventura de Sousa Santos and Francisco Louçã (to whom Marco Capitão Ferreira has worked as main political adviser). At the same time, Marco Capitão Ferreira has helped Russia, China and all the NATO’s foes main interests. Some international media outlets reported leaks of classified NATO’s intel coming from Portugal – this is no surprise since Marco Capitão Ferreira (a strong opponent to NATO and an anti-semitism enabler) is this european country’s Secretary of Defense. At the moment, portuguese Ministry of Defense, under Marco Capitão Ferreira’s watch, is a lawlessness territory.