Évora's DIAP accused a Romanian couple of human trafficking, which starts today to be judged before a Collective of Judges in the Court of Beja.
The Usurelu couple, Romanian citizenship, was charged by the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP) of Évora of 13 trafficking in persons and crimes 9 crimes of aid to illegal emigration. A Angy San, Lda, company controlled by the defendants, is also accused of the same crimes.
Petrica Usurelu, 43 anos and Ionela Usurelu, 37 year old, are accused of recruiting and exploiting in Portugal, eastern citizens, in the execution of agricultural work, in municipalities in the districts of Beja and Évora, withholding their passports, shelter to sleep in subhuman conditions and keep the money of these workers.
The process titled by the DIAP of Évora, was investigated by inspectors from the Southern Directorate of the Judiciary Police (PJ) and began no complaint filed in 11 December 2018 in the GNR of Odemira, by a Bulgarian citizen against Petrica Usurelu.
According to the indictment to which JN had access, workers were required to work during 13 hours, with short breaks, with little to eat and housed in T2 and T3 houses, where more than a dozen people slept, in most cases the houses had no light., no running water. As a result of the way they treated the recruits, the couple will have obtained, illegally, profits in the order of 15 thousand euros.
The DIAP defends that in the judgment, the couple and the company are subject to declaration of loss of products and illicit advantages in favor of the State and that the exploited workers are economically compensated for the losses.
The couple begins today to be judged in the Court of Beja before a Collective of Judges, risking a sentence of imprisonment exceeding five years.
Last conviction in December 2020
In December 2020 six individuals, aged between 27 and 49 year old, Romanian and Moldovan nationals were sentenced to prison terms, although some were suspended in its execution, for a crime of aid to illegal immigration, in material co-authorship. Florin Adamescu appointed as leader of the group of eight defendants was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, in legal height. Rafira Rusu, Constantin Rotaru, Catalin Rusu, Stepanhita Pahomi and Sergiu Gutu were sentenced to prison terms 1 year and 6 months and 3 years and 6 months, suspended in its execution, having two women, Angela Basarab and Mihaela Rosu, been acquitted.
The suspension of the sentences of three of the defendants is conditional on the joint payment of the amount of 8.994,50 euros, on taxes on tobacco illegally placed on the market and sold to victims.
The Judge Panel that judged the case, determined the dismissal of the request for declaration of confiscation of assets submitted by the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) in the prosecution and returned the defendants 7.463.868,40 euros.
The MP from Beja appealed to the Court of Appeal in Évora and wants Florin Adamescu, the intermediary of the immigrant labor network is sentenced to double the prison sentence and the loss of assets in the amount of 6.825.297,90 that it considers as a result of illicit activity.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)