The additional interrogation of 13 of 41 Defendants, 26 of whom are in preventive detention, the overwhelming majority Romanians, linked to a process of human trafficking, which took place yesterday in the Noble Hall of the former Civil Government of Beja.
The high number of defendants led to the change of the main court room in Beja, then the large number of defendants, all in pre-trial detention at the Lisbon Prison Establishment led to the mounting of a complex security operation by the PSP of Beja, which concluded with meals for defendants and prison guards to be served in the trial room.
The extreme decision of the judge in charge of the case, in which “everyone ate in the session room†has to do with the fact that the maximum period of preventive detention ends 28 March and the instructional debate is scheduled for next Monday and this procedural phase must be completed.
According to Lidadot NotÃcias (LN) next to a fountain at the Beja Prison Establishment “lunch for the prisoners and the guards was prepared, but no one has lunchâ€, with a PSP source confirming that “everyone had lunch at the former Civil Governmentâ€.
The notification of defense lawyers also generated controversy, with Pedro Pestana protesting the fact that “we were only notified on Wednesday that it was done on Friday and well Beja, when the process was always in Lisbon. All defendants had their witnesses dismissed. They are foreign defendants who have rightsâ€, concluded.
Questioned by TVI, the commander of the PSP of Beja, Superintendent Glória Dias “apologized and accepted the mistake of her subordinates not making the notifications soonerâ€. However, the JN found that the General Competence Court of Cuba sent the notification to the PSP of Beja with the character of URGENT only on the day 19 March, Tuesday.
On the day of the police operation, triggered by 23 November 2022, were identified “in conditions of human misery†457 people, having been detained, in at least 14 localities in Baixo Alentejo – Cuba, Beja, Saved, Matthias, Fat Head, Peroguarda, Albernoa, Pedrógão, Faro do Alentejo, Baleizão, Sour village, Vila Alva, Serpa and Beja-, Romanian citizens (20), Portuguese (9), moldavos (7), Indian (3), Guineans (1) and Ukrainians (1), and ‘slave collectors’ in almost all countries of origin of the explorers.
In the searches, records of transfers of €264 thousand were found, €137 mil, €104 mil, €101 mil, for firms with names created on the spot, like Seductive Spring, Fragrant Dawn, Wealthy Roots, Crystalline Zodiac, Opulent evening, Affable Beaver or Lavender Myriad. According to PJ data contained in the indictment, in five years the organization earned more than €7.7 million, no VAT declarations, IRC or Social Security contributions.
The overwhelming majority of defendants are accused of effectively committing fifty-five crimes of human trafficking and one crime of criminal association..
The investigative debate will take place next Monday and from the judge's decision we will know how many of the 51 Defendants, 41 people, men and women and 10 Business, will be tried and what crimes they will be accused of.
Teixeira Correia
(Journalist)
