The final conclusions of the parliamentary inquiry commission regarding the case of two children who received one of the world’s most expensive drugs in 2020 were discussed today in the Standing Committee, a body that replaces the plenary of the Assembly of the Republic when it is dissolved.
António Rodrigues, coordinator of the PSD, accused the Chega party of attempting to turn the inquiry commission “into a circus,” stating that they “tried to do so during hearings, in documents, and at all moments, even attempting it today.”
The social democrat further suggested that the party led by André Ventura sought to gain from this inquiry and requested that the former Secretary of State for Health, António Lacerda Sales, be heard during the campaign for the European elections in June of the previous year “solely to minimize a party.”
Rodrigues also accused Chega of placing “targets on the backs” of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, his son, and Lacerda Sales.
Additionally, João Paulo Correia from the PS accused Chega of trying “to use the inquiry commission for electoral purposes,” reflecting that “it was a significant defeat for Chega, who from the very beginning did everything to use it for their political agenda.”
The socialist coordinator accused Chega of irresponsibility and attempting to manipulate the inquiry commission, “whether through abusive use of the potestative right or excessive interpretation of equating inquiry commissions with judicial authorities.”
Livre’s deputy, Paulo Muacho, commented that Chega wanted “to have completely absolute powers to investigate whoever they wanted,” but noted that Chega’s “quixotic crusade ended up being much ado about nothing.”
In one of her three speeches, Chega’s deputy Cristina Rodrigues claimed that the report approved by the inquiry commission was “not the report of the truth.”
“The actions of the President of the Republic were not special; they were abusive,” she contended, accusing PS and PSD of attempting “to complicate the process of document retrieval and divert attention from their politicians’ responsibilities.”
The IL deputy, Joana Cordeiro, stated that this inquiry commission “had a clear objective from the start, more than establishing facts, to assign blame,” asserting that “it wasn’t just Chega contributing to this.”
For BE, Joana Mortágua claimed that Chega sought to carry out “an institutional assault on parliamentary inquiries,” turning them “into a propaganda tool.”
The left-wing representative added that Chega’s report revealed an “inquisitorial vein,” accusing the party of confusing “the powers of an inquiry commission with those of a court.”
João Almeida from CDS-PP commented on the report prepared by the first rapporteur, Cristina Rodrigues, from Chega – which was rejected in its entirety – arguing that deputies cannot express their beliefs but should rather “report what was effectively ascertained.”
The sole PAN deputy, Inês de Sousa Real, highlighted that with the final conclusions approved, the deputies managed “to avoid the fairy tale that Chega wanted to create.”
Alfredo Maia from PCP reiterated that “nobody wanted” this inquiry commission and that Chega “imposed it with objectives that irreparably contaminated the process’s conduct.”
At the opening of the debate, commission president Rui Paulo Sousa (Chega) noted that the inquiry commission conducted 37 hearings and lamented the rejection of access to “relevant information.”
The final conclusions of the inquiry commission, approved on March 18, pointed to a “special intervention,” without illegality, by the Presidential Civil House and noted that Lacerda Sales had directed his secretary to request the scheduling of the children’s first consultation at Hospital de Santa Maria.
