Former President of the Assembly of the Republic Augusto Santos Silva confirmed this Saturday to Luce that he will personally testify before the parliamentary commission investigating the twins’ case, waiving the prerogative to give a written response.
“The parliamentary committee of inquiry has approved my hearing, and this is not only a duty, but I am happy to provide any clarification that I can provide to the parliamentary committee of inquiry, and I see no reason to use the prerogative that I have as president of the Assembly of the Republic, I will go to the committee when the committee understands,” said Augusto Santos Silva.
The former president of the Assembly of the Republic spoke to Lusa after sharing the information with Rádio Observador on Friday evening.
Therefore, Augusto Santos Silva, who was called to testify as a former foreign minister, is not obliged to answer in writing.
“This is a prerogative that I believe there is no need to use,” he stressed.
In a conversation with Lusa, the president of the parliamentary commission of inquiry, Rui Paulo Sousa, named September 20 as a “provisional date” for hearings into the former ruler, which he said he could not confirm because he was outside the country at the time.
“Hope [a data] everything that happens to me after the holidays. I do not confirm. 20th [de setembro] “I am not in the country and I definitely won’t be,” said Augusto Santos Silva.
Rui Paulo Sousa explained that the parliamentary commission of inquiry will only have three days to hold hearings in September.
“This was the date proposed by the commission, given the current schedule, since in September we will only have three days for auditions: the 13th, 20th and 27th. [sextas-feiras]There are several parliamentary days that make the dates of the 10th, 17th and 24th impossible. [terças-feiras]”, he noted.
“We’re going to try to schedule two auditions for each of those Fridays, given that most of those auditions will be with the B bracket. [a mais pequena, cerca de metade do tempo da grelha A]”, he added.
On July 19, Parliament issued a summons to Augusto Santos Silva to testify before the commission.
Augusto Santos Silva’s request to testify as a former foreign minister was approved on July 3.
According to the “Legal Regime of Parliamentary Investigations”, former Presidents of the Assembly of the Republic “enjoy the prerogative to give written testimony, which they send to the committee, within 10 days from the date of notification of the facts on which the testimony was given, stating under oath everything they know about the said facts.”