The Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed on Wednesday that an investigation has been launched into the leader of Chega, André Ventura, and the party’s deputy Rita Matias regarding the release of names of immigrant children enrolled in a Lisbon school.
“It is confirmed that an investigation related to the matter has been initiated,” a source from the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) told Notícias ao Minuto.
The list of names was mentioned by André Ventura in the Assembly of the Republic, while Rita Matias disclosed the names in a video shared on social media.
On July 4, during a plenary session in the Assembly of the Republic, André Ventura, leader of Chega, cited several foreign-origin names, claiming they belonged to children enrolled in primary and preschool education at a Lisbon school.
The day before, Rita Matias recorded a video in the Parliament building, in which she also cited names of children enrolled in a preschool class at a Lisbon school.
In the parliamentary debate on the nationality law, André Ventura stated that the list was “public,” but Rita Matias later admitted she had not verified the “veracity” of the names.
At the time, several association leaders, political parties, and citizens publicly announced they would file complaints against Chega’s disclosure of children’s foreign-origin names.
On July 16, the National Data Protection Commission (CNPD) announced it had opened an investigation process regarding the disclosure of minors’ names.
