The former head of the Civil House, Fernando Frutuoso de Melo, revealed to have felt pressured by Nuno Rebelo de Sousa, son of the then President of the Republic, regarding the case of Portuguese-Brazilian twins. Also Maria João Ruela, social affairs advisor, denounced Nuno Rebelo de Sousa's insistence.
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04/10/2026
by
News to Minutes
O former head of the Civil House, Fernando Frutuoso de Melo, and the adviser of the Presidency for Social Affairs, Maria João Ruela, revealed that they felt pressured by Nuno Rebelo de Sousa, son of the then President of the Republic, regarding the case of Portuguese-Brazilian twins that the medicine for spinal muscle atrophy in Portugal.
According to TVI/ CNN Portugal, who had access to the inquiries made by the Judiciary Police (PJ), Fernando Frutuoso de Melo said he knew Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa's son since childhood. However, he stressed that he had no personal relationship with him, having even criticized him when Nuno Rebelo de Sousa was heard by the Public Prosecutor (MP) as a witness in the case.
“ I could not think that my daughter would write to me for the job, to ask for a favor or something else”, said Fernando Frutuoso de Melo, quoted by the television station.
Maria João Ruela, then adviser to the Presidency for Social Affairs, also heard by the DIAP of Lisbon, said she did not like the insistence of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa's son.
“I didn’t think Dr. Nuno was insistent on me. And then lodged some kind of complaint to my boss ", pointed out.
According to TVI/CNN Portugal, as Nuno Rebelo de Sousa did not get a reply from Maria João Ruela, he sent a message to the then head of the Civil House.
“ Here's something my father gave Dr. Maria João Ruela, but so far nothing has evolved and no one has spoken to the parents of the children”, wrote Nuno Rebelo de Sousa to Fernando Frutuoso de Melo.
Questioned whether this request was understood as a form of pressure, and according to what is stated in the process cited by the television station, the former head of the Civil House answered yes, adding having felt discomfort with the situation.
In this way, he decided to send the matter to the Prime Minister's office, explaining that there were reports that he could handle a similar case with a Portuguese-Canadian baby already being treated.
The newspaper Public also states that when Nuno Rebelo de Sousa was first questioned, in 2024, as accused in Brazil, he said that the goal of the email sent to the personal address of the President of the Republic – and not to the services of the Presidency – was to locate the doctor of the Santa Maria who was undergoing treatments with the medicine for spinal muscle atrophy.
However, highlights the same medium, the emails went further.
“ In recent weeks we have been 100% focused trying to help twins get Portuguese citizen cards, which is already, and now we need more help to get them the only treatment in the world that can save them in Portugal. Can Dad help? The bureaucracy in Portugal is great and the parents of the children are concerned because they do not have time to save them ", wrote Nuno Rebelo de Sousa to the father, then President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Nuno Rebelo de Sousa defended himself by saying that he acted in the quality of the organizations he represented in Brazil. He also explained that he was aware of the case of the twins because the parents of the girls were “very close” to friends of his and his wife.
It should be recalled that this week, the prosecutor deduced charges against four defendants in the Luso-Brazilian twins case.
Daniela Martins, mother of the girls, is charged with qualified fraud. Nuno Rebelo de Sousa, António Lacerda Sales, former Secretary of State for Health, and Luís Pinheiro, former clinical director of Santa Maria Hospital, are accused of having committed a crime of prevarication in an apparent contest with the crime of abuse of powers
The case came to light in November 2023, on the TVI/CNN antenna, and gave rise to a Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry, whose conclusions pointed to a “special intervention”, without illegality, of the Civil House of the then President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
However, in 2024, the General Inspection of Health Activities (IAS) concluded that “the legality requirements for access to neuropediatry for both children were not met”.
It should also be noted that, in Brazil, the Federal Regional Court decided that minors should not receive the medication through the State, since the family was not “in a state of poverty and children were not [were] disabled”.