The commission investigating the case of the Portuguese-Brazilian twins treated with Zolgensma will hear the head of the Civil Chamber of the President of the Republic, Fernando Frutuoso de Melo, on his intervention in the case this Tuesday.
Frutuoso de Melo’s hearing was approved in early June.
In a statement published on June 7, in which he said he would submit to Parliament the documentation already sent to the Attorney General’s Office, the President of the Republic said that “the only two members of the Civil Chamber who intervened in the case in question, from 21 to 31 October 2019, when the process was transferred within the usual timeframe to the Prime Minister’s Office, were the head of the Civil Chamber and the Social Affairs Adviser.”
“After this date, the President of the Republic – and, within his framework, the head of the Civil Chamber – will no longer be [Fernando Frutuoso de Melo] or a social consultant [Maria João Ruela] “I intervened in this matter, but to no avail,” he added then.
Earlier, in December, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza had already confirmed that his son had contacted him about twins living in Brazil with spinal muscular atrophy, and claimed that the treatment given in this case was neutral and the same as in many others.
The head of state then reported on the correspondence with the President of the Republic on this matter, which began with an email sent to him by his son, and stated that “everything is happening regarding the intervention of the President of the Republic.” Republic, ten days later, between October 21, 2019 and October 31, 2019.”
The President of the Republic noted that he sent this email “to the head of the Civil Chamber with the following words: Can Maria João Ruela, who was the social affairs councillor at the time, understand what this is about?”
Maria João Ruela contacted Santa Maria Hospital and responded to Nuno Rebelo de Sousa on October 23.
Subsequently, the head of state’s son sent a new email to the head of the Civil Chamber, informing him that “priority is given to cases being treated in Portuguese hospitals, so they have not been contacted and it is not expected that this will happen.” This must be done quickly, stressing that “the National Health Service (SNS) primarily deals with the situation of people living or staying in Portugal.”
On October 31, “the head of the Civil Chamber sent, as he always did, and hundreds, if not thousands of files arrived, to the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister, since all communication or correspondence between the presidency and the government was concentrated there, and to the Chief of Staff of the Secretary of State for the Portuguese Communities, given that they were Portuguese residents abroad,” the details of this file with the usual indication: “for the purposes that he considered suitable and convenient.”
The head of the Civil House also “sent a letter to the children’s father,” informing him that he had just sent this documentation, he said, noting that as of the 31st there are no longer “any records, any intervention regarding the sequence of the process,” concluded Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Before the recess, the commission of inquiry will also hear from the head of state’s adviser on social issues, Maria João Ruela, and Francisco André, who was then the chief of staff of the previous Prime Minister, António Costa.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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