Vitor Ramalho, of 56 year old, a former elected member of the Chega party, at the Parish Council of Póvoa de São Miguel, in the municipality of Moura, admitted yesterday at the Beja Court that he fired two shots “one into the ground and the other into the air, without any intention to kill”.
In a trial in which he is accused of a crime of simple murder, the attempted form, using a firearm.
The event took place on 8 October 2021, that area Alentejo, following an altercation with Hemin Mohammed, of 41 year old, Kurdish citizen with Swedish passport, with the defendant justifying that “I was provoked by the individual, who spat at me twice and I lost my head. I fired the shotgun, but it didn't go in your direction, nor the van he was driving.”, argued to the Collective of Judges.
Testimonies of all witnesses, prosecution and defense, were to the effect that it was impossible for a weapons handler like the defendant “to miss a target within a range of 30 meters given his skill”, corroborating the version presented by Vítor Ramalho.
Hemin Mohammed, as victim and Rebecca Andersson, your woman, as the injured party for being the owner of the vehicle, did not appear at trial, nor did they respond yesterday to the call to make statements via videoconference.
In closing arguments, the Public Prosecutor (MP) and defense lawyer agreed on the thesis that “it was not proven that there was an intention to kill on the part of the defendant”, with Pedro Mendonça maintaining that his client should be punished for an aggravated offense.
Speaking to journalists, Pedro Mendonça, was quite caustic towards the Judiciary Police (PJ): “they built a horrible process. The PJ has interests that are not visible and created a political collage (Read Chega) unworthy”, finished.
Reading the judgment was set for the next day 20 of December, to 14,30 hours, the Court of Beja.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
