During a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Lisbon, the leader of Chega announced that the party intends to question the minister through the Education Committee today regarding these matters and any possible attempt to influence an organization to facilitate entry into any course.
André Ventura argued that political accountability does not prevent the necessity of a criminal investigation, which he believes is unavoidable in this case.
“I think that given the seriousness of the facts revealed today, the Public Prosecutor must open a preventive evaluation, at least, to verify whether there are indications of crime in this matter, whether it is favoritism or crimes of undue pressure or attempted coercion on a public body,” he stated.
The leader of Chega called for an “immediate investigation by the Public Prosecutor into this alleged behavior of the minister.”
When asked whether Minister Fernando Alexandre should resign, André Ventura stated that it is necessary to await responses and developments in the case.
The Minister of Education, Science, and Innovation denied today having pressured the rector of the University of Porto to admit candidates to the medical program irregularly or to have suggested any solution that violated the current legal framework.
“The Minister of Education, Science, and Innovation never pressured, in any way, the rector to admit those candidates irregularly, nor suggested any solution that violated the current legal framework. Therefore, the accusation by the rector of the University of Porto is false,” according to a statement released by the Ministry today.
The newspaper Expresso reported today that the rector of the University of Porto claimed to have received pressure from several “influential” people, without naming names, to let in 30 candidates to the Faculty of Medicine who had not achieved the minimum score on the required exam for the special entry program for graduates from other areas.
The Expresso reported that the issue reached the Minister of Education, who contacted the rector expressing willingness to create extraordinary vacancies so that these students, who had not achieved the minimum score on the required exam for the special access contest for graduates from other areas, could secure a place in the Faculty of Medicine.
“The minister would like this to be done, but I told him: ‘I won’t do it. I comply with the law. If the minister thinks it should be different, give me the order and I will execute it,'” the rector told Expresso.
Meanwhile, the PS and IL have requested a hearing of the Minister of Education in parliament.
