“No, I haven’t seen the images. What I saw was yesterday on the news. The deputy assured me that the interaction was with Deputy Rui Tavares and not with Deputy Isabel Moreira,” said Ventura.
The leader of Chega stated that Filipe Melo assured him “he did not engage in any provocative activity, nor did he blow kisses from the Assembly table to Socialist Deputy Isabel Moreira.”
“Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak with Deputy Filipe Melo at the end of the day about what Deputy Isabel Moreira said, and Deputy Filipe Melo assured me that he did not have any provocative attitude nor send kisses, or anything similar, which, obviously, are not acceptable in the Assembly of the Republic,” stated André Ventura at the sidelines of the 3rd Professional Liberal Forum in Porto.
Regarding the inquiry proposed by the Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, the president of Chega felt that, in this line, an inquiry must also be opened to find out whether PSD Deputy Hugo Soares threatened Deputy Pedro Frazão of Chega.
He added, “I hope it is done today. Certainly, there will be an opportunity to issue a press release today because we are talking about physical aggression and threats that are recorded.”
The Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic requested the transparency committee to conduct an inquiry into potential “serious irregularities” involving “violation of deputies’ duties” by Filipe Melo, who was serving as deputy secretary of the parliamentary table.
José Pedro Aguiar-Branco initially referred to a complaint filed on Thursday by Socialist Deputy Isabel Moreira against Filipe Melo, who was serving as deputy secretary of the table, “for allegedly inappropriate and offensive behavior.”
During the plenary session, Filipe Melo is said to have made gestures considered disrespectful, including blowing kisses and making signs to silence, in an alleged attempt to silence.
