Mother of twins charged with fraud after allegedly claiming multiple state benefits while hiding assets
A Brazilian mother stands accused of obtaining thousands of euros in Portuguese state benefits while allegedly concealing her true financial situation, according to an indictment made public on Monday. The case, which centres on twin girls with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), has drawn in the son of a former president and two former health officials.
Daniela Luzado Martins faces a charge of qualified fraud over allegations that she claimed welfare payments, charitable donations and duplicate medical equipment between 2019 and 2023. The indictment from the Portugal Public Ministry details a pattern of applications for support that prosecutors say she was not entitled to receive.
What the prosecution alleges
According to the charging document, accessed by CNN Portugal, Martins travelled from Brazil to Portugal in 2019 with the express purpose of securing Zolgensma, the world's most expensive medication, for her twin daughters through the public health system. The treatment, administered at Hospital de Santa Maria in Lisboa, costs approximately €2 million per dose.
Prosecutors allege that during her time in Portugal, Martins "knew she had no economic hardship and wanted to take advantage of all subsidies, donations, benefits and materials provided by the Portuguese State and humanitarian institutions." The plan, they allege, was formulated by December 2019 and carried out over the following years.
Benefits allegedly obtained
The indictment lists several benefits that Martins allegedly received improperly:
• €92 per month in nutritional support: Over seven months, the Conferência Vicentina de Domingos de Rana in Cascais provided €654 in total for special formula milk. Staff at the charitable organisation believed the family faced genuine hardship.
• €154 per month in child benefit: In August 2020, almost a year after arriving in Portugal, Martins declared to Social Security in Montijo that her household, including her husband Samir Assad Filho and the twins, had a net annual income of €12,000. Based on this declaration, she received child benefit for 38 months, from October 2020 to December 2023. Prosecutors, however, identified bank deposits and transfers in her Portuguese account ranging between €31,000 and €53,000 during this period.
• €6,421 in informal carer support: In an application for the informal caregiver subsidy, Martins stated she had "no income" and "no movable assets." Social Security approved the payments, which continued for almost two years.
The Public Ministry opted not to prosecute Martins specifically for these benefit claims. The fluctuating balance in her bank account, which swung from €43,000 to negative territory, meant prosecutors could not definitively prove she was aware that changes in her economic circumstances required immediate notification to Social Security.
The fraud charge that goes to trial
The single charge of qualified fraud that will bring Martins before a criminal court relates to wheelchair prescriptions.
According to the prosecution, the Centro de Reabilitação de Alcoitão prescribed two electric wheelchairs for the girls, which Social Security paid for. Martins then allegedly made a second, similar request at Hospital de Santa Maria, this time for manual wheelchairs with a propulsion system. The hospital doctor, unaware the children already had electric chairs, approved the second prescription.
Authorities estimate the financial loss to the State at €26,745. Prosecutors allege the two prescriptions served "the same function and application." Martins reportedly transported her daughters to hospital appointments in ordinary pushchairs, a detail that will be examined during the trial to determine whether this was deliberate concealment.
Four people charged, including former president's son
The case extends beyond Martins. Three other individuals face charges connected to the administration of Zolgensma to the twins:
• Nuno Rebelo de Sousa, son of former Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
• António Lacerda Sales, former Secretary of State for Health
• Luís Pinheiro, former clinical director of Hospital de Santa Maria
All three are accused of prevarication combined with abuse of power. The prosecution alleges that Nuno Rebelo de Sousa knew his father's position and the influence of the presidential Civil House and social affairs adviser could affect hospital procedures. He is alleged to have contacted Lacerda Sales directly to schedule a meeting, after emails to his father were forwarded to the Ministry of Health.
The case, which came to light in 2020, prompted a parliamentary inquiry and an inspection by the Portugal Health Inspectorate (IGAS). That inspection concluded in 2024 that the access to the neuropaediatrics consultation had been illegal, as legal requirements were not met.
Political response
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who left office in March 2026, broke his silence on Monday. Speaking to RTP Notícias in Tabuaço, he described the matter as "truly painful since 2023. We are facing facts that date back to 2019 and, in 2023, it became painful, as far as I am concerned, because of the awareness I had of a reality I had not known before."
When asked if he had suffered greatly, the former head of state replied: "It is evident, but that is a personal problem of mine."
He reiterated that "no one is truly above the Constitution and the Law," a principle he said applies regardless of position.
Portugal's Justice Minister, Rita Alarcão Júdice, commenting from Strasbourg, called for a swift resolution. "It is important that cases are concluded, whether with an accusation or with archiving. In this case, it was an accusation and let us hope it can function and that the decision can be quick, for the good of everyone," she told reporters.
What changes for residents
The case has prompted fresh scrutiny of how Portugal's public systems verify entitlement.
Social Security confirmed that in the first eight months of 2026, approximately 6,000 verification processes were completed across various benefits and pensions, saving €76.5 million through fraud prevention and detection.
Current mechanisms include data cross-referencing between Portuguese state agencies and other European countries, automated validation systems, and biometric authentication for identity verification. From 1 January 2026, the contribution calculation and communication system became fully digital and automatic, a measure designed to prevent the artificial construction of contribution histories.
Portugal's Health Minister, Ana Paula Martins, said that the National Health Service (SNS) has "actual internal control systems within hospitals" and audit systems. She acknowledged that "no one can guarantee" such cases will never repeat, but added that the system has "alert mechanisms" and that whenever non-compliant situations are detected, "we immediately seek to correct them."
The Public Ministry last February launched its National Strategy to Combat Fraud in the SNS (2026-2028), creating specialised investigation teams and proposing legislative changes. A dedicated Anti-Fraud Commission for the SNS was established in November 2025, with fraud estimates ranging from 3% to 5% of the sector's budget, potentially reaching €800 million.
Residents receiving state benefits are reminded that any change in economic circumstances must be reported immediately to Social Security. Failure to do so can result in repayment demands, fines, or criminal prosecution. Whistleblower protections under Law No. 93/2021 safeguard those who report suspected fraud.
