Parliament takes its place in the case

The Assembly of the Republic has constituted itself as an assistant in the judicial process over an alleged break-in at the office of Chega leader André Ventura. Parliament filed the request on Tuesday, 20 October, and President José Pedro Aguiar-Branco announced the decision on Wednesday, 21 October. The investigation concerns suspected unlawful entry into a place closed to the public, qualified theft and damage to parliamentary premises and property. Lawyer José António Barreiros will represent the institution pro bono, so Parliament bears no fees. The decision was communicated in a letter sent to the vice-presidents, the parliamentary leaders and the single-deputy parties BE, PAN and JPP, which the Lusa news agency obtained.

What the letter says and what went missing

The letter argues that the investigation's progress and the steps already taken justify a more active procedural role for the Assembly, to follow the facts and protect the institution's interests. It says Aguiar-Branco will keep following the matter closely, in line with a commitment made at the leaders' conference, with the aim of fully clarifying the facts. The alleged break-in came to light on the morning of 28 July, when Ventura posted images on social media showing his office with open cabinets and documents scattered across the floor. At a press conference, Ventura said two USB pens and other objects had disappeared. Among them was material linked to a parliamentary inquiry commission that Chega set up under its own prerogative to examine the conduct of Luís Neves while he was national director of the Judiciary Police (PJ), as well as political information about the prime minister's office.

Ventura welcomes the move but says it is late

Speaking to journalists in the Assembly, Ventura called the decision important and a positive step, though he said it came late.

“I think it is an important decision, I think it is a decision that comes late, actually.”

Ventura, who is also an assistant in the case, argued that the institution has a duty to help establish the truth.

“Parliament has to contribute to establishing the truth.”

He said the alleged break-in also called into question the entire security structure of Parliament. In his view, only Parliament can help establish who was inside the space after he left the office and before the authorities arrived. Ventura added that he had not yet given statements to investigators because he had not yet received the questions.

Accusations over parliamentary security

In an email chain among the parties, seen by Observador, the parties welcomed the Assembly's move, but a second dispute emerged. Chega's parliamentary leader Pedro Pinto had recorded a video suggesting that information about Chega deputies who entered the office that day had leaked from the security services. In the same video he asked whether those responsible for the leak from the CCTV footage were also behind the break-in. Bruno Góis, chief of staff of the Left Bloc (BE) in Parliament, said serious suspicions had been cast on the Assembly's security services, PSP officers and GNR guards. He expressed full confidence in those officers and asked whether steps would be taken to restore their good name.

Pinto replied by asking whether anyone had tried to establish where the leak came from or who had accessed the CCTV images. He pointed to Chega deputy Francisco Gomes, who was reported on the day of the break-in to have entered Parliament at 7am and to have been the first to reach Ventura's office after the cleaner. Pinto said it was important to establish the whole truth so that no room was given to such attempts.