Portuguese minister clings to job in wake of children's charity scandal

LISBON, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Portugal's minister for work, solidarity and social security, Jose Vieira da Silva, said "his conscience was clear" on Wednesday, as opposition politicians demanded he consider his position in light of a finance scandal at Rarissimas, a children's charity, that implicated him.

Vieira da Silva, of the Socialist Party, was president of the general assembly of Rarissimas between 2013 and 2015. The charity which helps children with rare diseases is accused of misusing public funds and donations.

Furthermore, Rarissimas receives financial support from the ministry of work, solidarity, and social security, Vieira da Silva's department.

Vieira da Silva told reporters in Lisbon that financial irregularities had not been reported to him either when he was president of the charity's assembly or as a government minister. He has ordered a public enquiry, but the Portuguese Social Democrats and Central Social Democrats question whether he could have been more vigilant or acted sooner.

On Tuesday, health minister Manuel Delgado was forced to resign when it was revealed that he'd been paid 63,000 euros (74,145 U.S. dollars) by Rarissimas for consultancy work in 2013 and 2014.

Meanwhile, President of Rarissimas, Paula Brito e Costa, also stepped down. She is alleged to have used the charity's funds for personal expenses.

The irregularities were exposed in a TVI documentary broadcast on Saturday. Enditem