Chega nominated Cristina Rodriguez as deputy rapporteur of the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the twins case

This Wednesday, Chega appointed Cristina Rodriguez as deputy rapporteur of the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the twins case, which unanimously approved the draft regulations and work schedule.

During the meeting this Wednesday, the parliamentary commission of inquiry also discussed proposals for documents for analysis, in which the president, deputy Rui Paulo Sousa, recalled that only Chega “can request the documentation he wants”, since he is the applicant.

“Everyone else will have to go to the vote. That’s what the regulations say,” reminded Rui Paulo Sousa, proposing “a joint vote to approve the demands of all parties,” which will take place next week.

After the discussion, the president of the investigative commission said that he would send possible dates for a new meeting to the coordinators by email.

Initially, PS deputy João Paulo Correia asked Chega to withdraw proposals for access to messages exchanged on digital platforms such as WhatsApp or Messenger, as well as information collected by TVI journalist Sandra Felgueiras.

“We want to distinguish this request for information from everything else that we are going to vote on,” he stressed, stressing that access to messages “violates Article 34 of the Constitution of the Republic.”

“This request violates a constitutional norm, an enshrined right, and therefore I propose that the commission (…) seek a legal opinion” from the legal auditor of the Assembly of the Republic, he said.

PSD deputy António Rodrigues also admitted that the issue raised by the PS “leaves some reservations.”

“All requests that are not specific always turn out to be wrong, especially in the case of a commission of inquiry that must have access to facts and documents, which will ultimately mean that the commission will have to wait for months,” he said, noting, that the party will prefer to vote on its own proposals.

Deputy PCP Alfredo Maia also expressed doubts about the documents Chega required for clinical processes.

“Most likely, we will face an investigation into the intimate sphere, which may be clearly unfounded, so I would ask Chega to withdraw this petition,” he emphasized.

In turn, Chega, in the voice of Cristina Rodrigues, recalled that as an applicant she can make her proposals heard, recognizing, however, the removal of the name of Sandra Felgueiras.

“In Chega’s request, he explicitly states that he is summarizing the requests for treatment for the twins, and not in relation to anything else in their personal lives,” the deputy said.

IL deputy Joana Cordeiro considered it necessary to clarify, recalling that currently “communications do not take place through letters, but (…) they take place through “mail” and messages.”

In turn, BE deputy Joana Mortagua raised the issue of the voting method.

SDS deputy João Almeida explained that he was unable to vote because he did not have time to “analyze the various lists of documents.”

However, Livre MP Paulo Muacho said that “it is one thing when you use an institutional ‘mail’ and another when ‘this type of communication can be used through a personal ‘mail’.”

We are talking about the treatment in 2020 of two twins living in Brazil and who received Portuguese citizenship with the drug Zolgensma. The drug, which costs four million euros (two million euros per person), is designed to control the spread of spinal muscular atrophy, a neurodegenerative disease.

This case was published by TVI last November and is still being investigated by the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGR), with the Inspectorate General of Medical Activities (IGAS) having already concluded that access to neuropediatric consultation for these children was unlawful.

Santa Maria Hospital’s internal audit also concluded that the state Department of Health’s first appointment at the hospital was the only exception to compliance in this case.