Three doctors arrested, 182 pensions withdrawn, as authorities hone in on ‘disability’ fraud

Three doctors have been arrested, and 182 people receiving ‘early retirement pensions due to  disability’ have been told they should go back to work, after an investigation propelled by a journalistic exposé.

Television news channel SIC Notícias brought the news two months ago of Emuna Mia (full name Emuna Abdul Hamid Mia Hamido), a Portuguese doctor born in Mozambique who was filmed explaining to patients how (and particularly how much it would cost them) to claim early retirement through disability.

As tabloid Correio da Manhã explains today, “in the end it was not just Emuna Mia who was part of a scheme to issue doctors’ opinions so that people could receive disability pensions.”

PJ police who took up the investigation “detected the participation of another two doctors, the twin ‘influencers’ Pedro Barreira and João Vasco Barreira, who, in the capacity as experts for Santarém Central District, validated the decisions of their colleague” (Emuna Mia).

According to Social Security, the scheme ‘benefitted’ 182 people, who have now seen their disability payments suspended, and been told they are fully capable of returning to work.

Nothing has been said yet over whether these 182 beneficiaries will be ordered to return the money they received. The Institute of Social Security has simply said estimated total savings of around €18.5 million could come from halting payments with immediate effect.

The three doctors were arrested yesterday, by the PJ’s UNCC (national unit for the combat of corruption), and they will be appearing before a judge of instruction today.

In a statement following the arrests, the PJ has said that it is still investigating “a wide group of people” who allegedly “participated in the execution of a criminal plan through which they managed to get the Social Security authorities to improperly grant numerous beneficiaries social benefits related to disability pensions and occupational disease pensions.”

CM adds that “just in Carris” (the Lisbon public transport company) “more than 10 members of staff were able to retire through disability at the stroke of Emuna Mia’s pen, which issued the respective opinion on their supposed disability”.

This scheme began, as far as SIC/ CM can work out, back in the time of the pandemic (2020) – and ostensibly operated ever since.

CM’s report adds that an employee of Emuna Mia has also been arrested, while nine other people have been identified as ‘arguidos’ (official suspects) – some of whom “may be connected to entities with the SNS state health service”.

In a statement issued by lawyer Paulo Saragoça da Matta, the influencer twin doctors, known as the “Twin docs” insist they are “absolutely innocent”.

“My clients will give all explanations and complete statements, affirming their absolute innocence,” says the statement.

A report by state news agency Lusa suggests that the Social Security Institute has been collaborating with judicial authorities about this case since January. The investigation, dubbed ‘Operation Relax’, hinges on the understanding that Emuna Mia will have charged “around one thousand euros” to facilitate disability retirement processes.

For the time being, Emuna Mia and the twin influencer doctors are “strongly suspected of committing the crimes of passive corruption, active corruption, aggravated document forgery, aggravated fraud against Social Security, and aggravated fraud”, says the PJ statement.

Sources: Correio da Manhã/ SIC Notícias/ LUSA