Reuben Candeias, of 28 year old, one of the seven soldiers who worked at the GNR Territorial Post in Vila Nova de Milfontes, county of Odemira, and that 2020 and 2023 were convicted in two cases of attacks on Indian immigrants, He is the only one away from the institution.
The other six soldiers, aged 28 and 35 year old, have already served the suspension sentences imposed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, that varied between 45 and 240 days, have already been reinstated to GNR service.
According to the explanations given to Lidador NotÃcias (LN), provided by the institution's Public Relations, “to ex-military Rúben Candeias, the disciplinary penalty of separation from service was applied, which is why he is no longer part of the Guard's staff.â€, adding at the time that with regard to guard Nelson Lima,, “he is still serving the sentence imposed (extinct in 3 August), will resume service after completion.â€, justifying that the remaining soldiers have already served their respective sentences and are already servingâ€, concluded.
Remember that in addition to the expulsion of Rúben Candeias,, the following aggravated suspension sentences were applied: Nelson Lima 240 days, João Lopes 210 days, Carlos Figueiredo, Diogo Ribeiro and Paulo Cunha, the three punished with 180 days. The least severe penalty was applied to Nuno Andrade who suffered 45 suspension days.
Three of the soldiers were convicted in two cases for attacking Indian immigrants, were condemned again, in legal height, by a Collective of Judges from the Criminal Court of Beja (TCB), just between the 4 years and 2 months and 8 years and 8 months.
Ruben Candeias, He was sentenced to 8 years and 8 months in prison, Joao Miguel Lopes, a 8 years and 7 months in prison and Nelson Lima, ended up sentenced to 4 years and 2 months in prison, suspended in its effectiveness by 5 year old, on condition of paying compensation to victims.
When in January of this year you read the ruling, the presiding judge of the TCB, justified to Nelson Lima that “his sentence is suspended in view of the decision of the Court of Appeal. It is with astonishment that I see that he continues to serve in the GNR after the crimes he committed. If he had taken a few pennies from a woman he would have already been thrown out of the Guard. You can't be GNR, because he is not reputable and does not deserve trustâ€, shot.
There are still appeals before the Supreme Court of Justice that will dictate whether or not the three guards will serve effective prison sentences..
Only one defendant served a prison sentence
Of the nine defendants in the two cases, only André Ribeiro, then with 33 year old, that in July 2020 was sentenced to six years in prison, he was the only one to serve an effective prison sentence at the Military Prison Establishment (EPM) Tomar.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
