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Former Portuguese tax official denies involvement in VIP list scandal

Xinhua, March 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

Ex-deputy director-general of Portugal's Tax and Customs Authority Jose Maria Pires denied on Friday his involvement in the elaboration of an alleged list of VIP figures who were shielded from paying tax, newspaper Expresso reports.

Maria Pires resigned on Wednesday, on the same day Director of Portugal's Tax and Customs Authority Antonio Brigas Afonso stepped down.

Maria Pires told parliament on Friday that although he had never authorized the elaboration of the alleged VIP list, he had given the green light to "a request for a methodology for protection of fiscal data."

But he denied having given any orders in relation to the list.

"I never received any list from the secretary of state, or from anyone," he said. "I was never involved in the elaboration of any kind of list."

The Union of Tax Workers claims that Maria Pires was "primary responsible" for the elaboration of the VIP list, and has called for more employees in the sector to resign, while the Ministry of Finance has denied that a VIP list exists. Endit