The Minister of Internal Affairs, Margarida Blasco, applied the disciplinary penalty of separation from service to GNR soldier João Miguel Lopes, sentenced to eight years and seven months in prison, in legal height, for crimes against immigrants in the municipality of Odemira.
The order is dated 7 August, but its release only took place this Tuesday, published in the Official Gazette. Following the disciplinary process initiated internally by the GNR, João Miguel Lopes was punished with the sentence of aggravated suspension of 210 days, having since returned to service.
In August, the Lidador News (LN) had reported that Rúben Candeias, one of the GNR soldiers from Vila Nova de Milfontes sentenced to a prison sentence of eight years and eight months for attacks on immigrants, had been the only one to be removed of the institution.
In addition to Rúben Cadeias and João Miguel Lopes, a third GNR soldier, Nelson Lima, was convicted in the same case, a sentence with execution suspended for five years. These three men were also tried in a second case, which involved four other GNR soldiers, also for kidnapping and assaulting Indian immigrants.
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.
Remember that last August and in accordance with the explanations given to Lidador Notícias, provided by GNR 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.”, adding at the time that with regard to guard Nelson Lima,, “the penalty applied (however extinct in 3 August), will resume service after completion.”, justifying that the remaining soldiers have already served their respective sentences and are already serving”, concluded.
Three of the soldiers were convicted in two cases for attacking Indian immigrants, ended up condemned again, in legal height, by a Collective of Judges from the Criminal Court of Beja (TCB). 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 trust”, shot.
There are still appeals before the Supreme Court of Justice that will dictate whether or not the three guards will serve their effective prison sentences..
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
