The parliamentary commission of inquiry into the determination of political responsibilities for the fires in Madeira last August scheduled hearings of those involved this morning.
Initially, the committee chaired by socialist Sancha Campanella set the date of October 28 to call the president of the Regional Government, but due to the absence of the CDS deputy that day, Miguel Albuquerque will be heard on October 31, at 2 pm.
Sancha Campanella commented that Albuquerque’s hearing in person in Parliament should be “a mere fantasy”, since it is predictable that the ruler will respond in writing.
But the hearings will begin on the 29th of this month, with the regional secretary of Health and Civil Protection Pedro Ramos, starting at 2 pm.
Hearings have also been scheduled for researcher Duarte Silva Caldeira and Miguel Sequeira, professor at the University of Madeira, on November 4, at 10 am and 12 pm respectively; geologist João Baptista on November 6 at 2 pm; José Costa Velho, general secretary of the National Civil Protection Union on November 11, at 10 am; António Nunes, president of the Portuguese Firefighters League on November 20, at 2 pm; Leonardo Pereira, commander of the Santa Cruz Firefighters, on the 26th at 2 pm, and António Mendes Nunes, president of the Regional Civil Protection Service, on the 28th at 2 pm.
More appointments will be made, but given that the Regional Budget will be discussed in December, no hearings are scheduled for that month. At this morning’s meeting, the deputies unanimously approved the Liberal Initiative’s proposal for the Regional Civil Protection Service to send all communications from the regional communications system on the days of the fires that occurred last August. The PSD requested the presence of Richard Marques, from the Algarve sub-regional command.
Sancha Campanella also explained to the deputies who are part of the committee that there is missing documentation from the central and regional governments and that there will be new insistence on the part of the committee that those responsible send it to the Madeiran parliament.
It should be noted that the commission has a period of six months to complete its work.