RTP never received any warnings regarding alleged improper subsidy payments made between 2018 and 2024, the public broadcaster's board of directors stated. The statement was included in the board's formal response to a preliminary audit report by the Inspeção-Geral de Finanças, which was accessed by newspaper Correio da Manhã.
During the entire six-year audited period, two officials from the Inspeção-Geral de Finanças sat on the three-member supervisory board of RTP. Because they formed a majority on the board, the auditor representatives held direct oversight over company finances at all times.
Under company statutes, the supervisory board consists of a maximum of three permanent members. One of these members must be appointed following a proposal from the Direção-Geral de Tesouro e Finanças, which is currently known as the Entidade do Tesouro e Finanças.
Supervisory Board Account Approvals
The board of directors explained that the two finance inspectorate representatives consistently voted to approve the company's activity plan and budget, as well as its annual management report and accounts. At no point during those votes or during monthly reviews of company accounts did the representatives raise doubts about the legality of the payments.
The Inspeção-Geral de Finanças later identified the subsidies as improper and lacking legal basis. In response, RTP's management stated that the audit authority's conflicting positions between its role on the supervisory board and its audit findings were strictly incomprehensible, given that both roles involve monitoring financial regularity.
The Independent General Council admitted to turbulence surrounding the broadcaster but stated that selecting a new administration for RTP will proceed independently.
Previous Financial Audits and Warnings
Final reports from three prior audits conducted by the Inspeção-Geral de Finanças into the public service concession contract covering 2018, 2019 to 2020, and 2021 to 2023 contained no references to the payments. RTP has since suspended the subsidies in question.
RTP noted that it never received any warnings about the payments from oversight ministries or internal departments. Unalerted entities included the legal department, human resources, financial department, management control and planning, internal audit, statutory auditor, external auditor, Independent General Council, and Opinion Council.
Trade unions are filing an injunction to protect employee salaries at RTP following reports of drastic salary cuts affecting major station figures.
