Sacked CEO of Portugal's airline TAP sues for $6.3 million in compensation

LISBON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The former chief executive of Portuguese airline TAP, Christine Ourmieres-Widener, has filed a lawsuit in a Lisbon court to claim over 5.9 million euros ($6.3 million) in compensation for being sacked last March amid a high-profile scandal.

The justice ministry's portal Citius shows that the lawsuit was entered with the Central Civil Court of Lisbon on Sept. 5.

Finance Minister Fernando Medina and Infrastructure Minister Joao Galamba, who oversee the state-owned company, announced the sacking of the French CEO with just cause on March 6 in the wake of a scandal involving an irregular severance payment of 500,000 euros paid to a former board member.

A month later, the former CEO told parliament her dismissal was illegal and that she had been made "a scapegoat" as the payment had been authorised by the Infrastructure Ministry, whose then head Pedro Nuno Santos resigned last December and later acknowledged he approved the compensation.

The ministry and TAP declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The government is currently preparing to privatise TAP, with bigger rivals Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), opens new tab, Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA), opens new tab and British Airways owner IAG (ICAG.L), opens new tab laying the groundwork for potential bids.

TAP, now led by Luis Rodrigues, swung to a net profit of 23 million euros in the first half from a loss of 202 million earlier on strong revenue growth.

($1 = 0.9339 euros)