Any unethical practice concerning accounting, financial reports or auditing matters, or any other relevant related issues known by someone outside the company (shareholder, customer or supplier) or by the actual Portugal Telecom employees can be communicated.
How to disclose the unethical practices
Those interested in disclosing unethical practices should use the following link:
Whistleblowing
- The communication is automatically coded (encrypted) and can be sent from any computer (inside or outside PT), whose identification will not be possible.
- The confidentiality of the disclosure and the anonymousness of the author are always guaranteed.
- Only the elements of the NAPQ (Nucleus for the Analysis of Qualified Disclosures) and the members of the Auditing Commission may have access to the transmitted information.
What are Unethical Practices?
"Unethical practices" are all the actions or omissions, deceitful or seriously negligent imputed to the conduct of members of the governing bodies or other high-ranking officers, managers, and employees from the company, pertaining to accounting, accounting internal control or auditing issues that might effect the financial statements or the information delivered to the North-American regulatory entity (SEC-Securities Exchange Commission), or cause damage to PT assets.
Bearing the aforementioned in mind, Whistleblowing is the disclosure of information by those who believe that there is an evidence of any of the following situations:
- Violation of laws, rules or regulations;
- Mismanagement;
- Abuse of authority;
- Squandering of funds.
The powers/duties relative to the reception and treatment of accusations, claims or complaints are attributed to the Auditing Committee of the Board of Directors.
The information is received by the NAPQ, where it is analysed and sent later to that Committee which, as specialized Committee of the Board of Directors for these matters, is qualified to make the necessary decisions, and informs both the Chairman of the Executive Committee (CEO) and the Financial Director (CFO) as well as other internal and external entities whose involvement may be justified.
The identity of the author of the disclosure of unethical practices will be kept confidential (when known), unless the latter wishes or states unequivocally otherwise.
In no circumstance there will be any sanction against those who disclose the aforementioned unethical practices. However, if the accusation of unethical practices is proven to be false or carried out in bad faith the, author may be subject to the adequate measures applicable.