Major shareholder leaves recently launched weekly newspaper

The president of the Macau Holy House of Mercy, António José de Freitas is no longer the major share-holder and administrator of the bilingual weekly newspaper “Plataforma Macau – Ou Mun Pen Toi.” Paulo Rego, who was the project’s director-general, confirmed yesterday to the Times that he is the new owner of Plataforma Projectos Multimédia, the company that publishes the weekly.
“The fact that António José de Freitas is leaving is not just a minor thing. He held 51 percent [of the company] and he was administrator and general manager,” Mr Rego said. Asked about the reason behind the president of the Macau Holy House of Mercy leaving, the journalist stated: “He leaves for personal reasons, it was not expected and it does not match my interests, so I regret it. Today I had a partner, tomorrow I will have a friend.”

“He leaves for personal reasons, it was not expected”, Paulo Rego

The periodical was launched recently and published its 12th issue last Friday. It focuses on matters regarding the relationship between Macau, China, and the Portuguese-speaking countries.
According to Paulo Rego, the newspaper’s editorial line will be maintained: “The project is to be maintained under the initial guidelines, that are evaluated every week and subject to changes.” Those guidelines, he said, “are relevant [for Macau] and are not hindered.”
The editorial team is also to be maintained, he added. The only adjustment involves Luís Andrade de Sá, a veteran journalist who had been hired to be the executive director and who will now take up Rego’s former position. Paulo Rego told the Times that he would assume the publishing company’s administration and management.

Paulo Barbosa