The announcement was made by Chega’s leader, André Ventura, during remarks to journalists before a “gathering with local councilors and candidates in Loures” for the municipal elections on October 12. The campaign event was held at an event venue in the municipality and was closed to the media.
“Chega will appeal the decision that was made and will take this to the plenary session of the Assembly of the Republic so that the images can be shown again in the plenary and so that everyone can see and hear,” he stated.
The parliamentary leader of the PSD demanded an apology from André Ventura after Ventura released a video that Hugo Soares claimed was based on a distortion of his words.
Ventura refused to apologize to the PSD’s secretary-general and insisted on the claim that the social democrat threatened his bench, saying there are “several witnesses” from his party who “heard the same word.”
“The leader of the PSD parliamentary bench physically threatened Chega deputies. Everyone heard it, those who were on the front line. Chega will have the opportunity to show this and to let these deputies show and say what they heard,” Ventura stated, arguing that “no one better than a Chega deputy would hear deputy Hugo Soares.”
André Ventura criticized parliamentary employees who are responsible for recording remarks in the plenary, accusing them of bias.
“They only note the offensives that come from one bench and do not note the ones from others,” he alleged.
The Chega leader also reiterated his criticism of the media, accusing them of “whitewashing” this case.
The Parliamentary Transparency Committee today dismissed a complaint filed by Chega deputy Pedro Frazão, which alleged that the leader of the social-democratic bench had promised him “beatings.”
However, through recordings made by parliamentary services, it was concluded that Hugo Soares spoke of “addresses” and not “beatings,” which led to the dismissal of the Chega deputy’s complaint.
