Defence Minister Nuno Melo Takes Chega's Ventura and Frazão to Court Over Frigate-Deal Claims

Defence Minister Nuno Melo is taking two of the Chega party's most prominent figures to court over their claims about a multibillion-euro naval purchase, escalating a political row into a legal one. Melo said he would sue Chega leader André Ventura, the MP Pedro Frazão and the online newspaper 24Horas over statements and reporting about Portugal's planned acquisition of three frigates from the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.

At the centre of the dispute is a story published by 24Horas alleging that the deal — worth some €3.9 billion — was structured in a way that sidelined a Portuguese company, NTG, said to have been in line to act as an intermediary. According to the report, cutting that firm out of the arrangement cost it around €90 million in commissions. Ventura and Frazão amplified the claims, casting the frigate purchase as a case study in a lack of transparency. The Ministry of Defence rejects that account outright.

"They lied premeditatedly"

In unusually sharp language, the ministry accused the two Chega politicians of overstepping "all the limits of political combat," saying they had "lied premeditatedly, distorted facts and made statements gravely harmful to the good name, honour and consideration" of the department. Melo, who also leads the CDS-PP within the governing coalition, cast the lawsuit as a defence of the institution's reputation rather than a personal grievance.

Chega was unrepentant. Ventura said the decision to sue showed "opacity and arrogance," arguing that the government "reacts badly to democratic scrutiny and to questions of transparency." Frazão, for his part, said he was not afraid of the proceedings. The exchange fits a now-familiar dynamic in Portuguese politics, with Chega positioning itself as the scourge of an establishment it accuses of hiding the details of big-ticket state spending, and ministers pushing back against what they call defamation dressed up as oversight.

The clash also throws a spotlight on the substance beneath the shouting: a major, long-term defence procurement at a moment when NATO members are under pressure to rearm. Questions about how Portugal buys military hardware, and who profits, echo other accountability stories we have followed, from an FBI case naming a Portuguese company over helicopter parts bound for Iran to a government minister set to stand trial at the Court of Auditors and state auditors questioning long-standing bonuses at public broadcaster RTP.

What This Means for Expats

• Coalition strain on show: The government and Chega are locked in a combative relationship, and defence spending is becoming a favourite battleground. Expect more flashpoints as the frigate deal advances.
• Libel is a real tool here: Portuguese public figures regularly turn to defamation suits. It shapes how politics and the press interact, and how aggressively outlets report on officials.
• Follow the money: Big procurement contracts — ships, aircraft, infrastructure — are where transparency debates in Portugal get most heated. Watch how the courts handle the underlying facts, not just the insults.
• Bottom line: This is a political and legal fight, with no direct impact on residents' day-to-day affairs — but it is a useful window into how power and accountability work in Lisbon.