Lisbon, July 19, 2024 (Lusa) - The chairman of the commission of inquiry into the twins' case said on Friday that the invitations for the president of Portugal, former PM António Costa and Augusto Santos Silva to give evidence will be sent out between today and next week.

‘With regard to Santos Silva and António Costa, as well as the president, the information I obtained from the speaker of parliament is that these, let's call them, invitations to come to the committee, should they wish to do so, would be sent either today or early next week,’ he said.

Rui Paulo Sousa was speaking to journalists at the end of a meeting of the bureau and coordinators of the commission of inquiry into the case of the Portuguese-Brazilian twins treated at Santa Maria Hospital with the drug Zolgensma.

According to the Legal Regime of Parliamentary Inquiries, the ‘president of Portugal, as well as former presidents for facts of which they became aware during the exercise of their functions and because of them, have the faculty, if they wish, to testify before a parliamentary committee of inquiry, in which case, if they so prefer, they enjoy the prerogative of doing so in writing’.

‘The speaker of parliament, former speakers of parliament, prime ministers and former prime ministers also have the prerogative of testifying in writing, if they so choose, and must submit to the committee, within 10 days from the date of notification of the facts to be testified about, a statement, on oath, stating what they know about the facts indicated,’ the legislation adds.

FM/ADB // ADB.

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