The Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into the determination of the political responsibilities of the August fires proceeded, this morning, to schedule the hearings of the entities involved.
Initially, the commission chaired by socialist Sancha Campanella set the 28th of October as the date to call the president of the Regional Government, but due to the absences on that day, Miguel Albuquerque will now be heard on the 31st of October, at 14:00.
Sancha Campanella commented that the president’s hearing in person in Parliament could be a mere fantasy as it is believed that he will simply respond in writing.
But the start of the hearings will start on the 29th of this month, with the Regional Secretary for Health and Civil Protection, commencing the proceedings at 14:00.
Hearings will also include those of researcher Duarte Silva Caldeira and Miguel Sequeira, Professor at the University of Madeira, which are scheduled for the 4th of November at 10:00 and 12:00 respectively; geologist João Baptista on the 6th of November at 14:00; José Costa Velho, General Secretary of the National Civil Protection Union on November the 11th, at 10:00; António Nunes, President of the League of Portuguese Firefighters on November the 20th, at 14:00; Leonardo Pereira, commander of the Santa Cruz Firefighters, on the 26th at 14:00, and António Mendes Nunes, President of the Regional Civil Protection Service, on the 28th at 14:00.
More appointments will be made, but given that December the Regional Budget will be discussed, no hearings are scheduled for that month. At this morning’s meeting, the deputies unanimously approved the proposal of the Liberal Initiative for the sending by the Regional Civil Protection Service of 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 sub-regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command of the Algarve.
Sancha Campanella also explained to the deputies who are part of the commission that there is missing documentation from the central and regional governments and that there will be a second insistence on the part of the commission for those responsible to forward all relevant information to the Madeiran parliament.
It should be recalled that the commission has a period of six months to complete its work.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
