Chega has submitted a request to the Parliament to open a parliamentary inquiry commission (CPI) into the management and conduct of the former leaders of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML), as "it is the only instrument that can ascertain the truth of a series of serious accusations of misuse of public money".

"In recent days, we have had in-depth, serious and particularly serious news regarding Santa Casa da Misericórdia. They indicate that, in addition to a set of dubious investments, but with objectively scandalous results, we have noticed that the management of recent years has been highly damaging to the public purse", the party leader, André Ventura, told journalists in the Assembly of the Republic.

"Because we are aware of the work that lies ahead and the parliamentary instability that we are experiencing, Chega has considered all possible instruments to obtain the necessary clarification on this matter", added Ventura, making it official: "The Chega Parliamentary Group has decided to submit a request for a parliamentary inquiry commission into Santa Casa, which is already in the Assembly of the Republic system and will be discussed and voted on in the coming days".

In the same statements, the president of Chega stated that Parliament "cannot ignore the seriousness of the statements that have been made public, whether by members of the Government, members of the former administration of Santa Casa da Misericórdia, or news" about "the number of managers and their salaries, the bonuses awarded for ruinous investments and accusations of self-interest and even today the allocation of allowances in absolutely pornographic and immoral amounts".

André Ventura admitted, however, that the party has "a perfect understanding of the parliamentary moment we are experiencing", in which "a special commission is being discussed because of the President of the Republic", in which, "next week, an inquiry commission will be sworn in on the so-called case of the twins, which also involves important figures in the Republic", and that "therefore it must be worked on with caution, objectivity and responsibility".

"Today we will start talks with PS and PSD" so that they can make this initiative viable, he said, especially since Chega has already used its potestative right to impose a parliamentary inquiry (limited to one per legislative session) on the case of Brazilian children treated in Portugal.

According to the draft available on the website of the Assembly of the Republic, Chega wants a parliamentary inquiry "to investigate the management, transparency of functions and conduct of the former leaders involved in the account imbalances and functioning of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa".

It should be noted that the Liberal Initiative had already announced its intention to request a CPI on the financial management and political supervision of Santa Casa, considering it imperative to investigate the "ruinous investments" made since 2015. According to André Ventura, Chega's initiative, which is already on the parliament's website, was submitted even before the Liberal Initiative's, in the same vein, but he said he was available to work on a joint text.

[News updated at 14:46]

Read also: IL proposes an inquiry commission into Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (Portuguese version)