Five people and a company were accused by the Public Ministry of labor exploitation and criminal association.
Five citizens of Hindustan, two of whom have Portuguese nationality, It's a company, managed by these two in a row, were accused by the Serpa Public Prosecutor's Office of crimes of aiding illegal immigration, human trafficking and criminal association.
The accusation is the result of an investigation initiated by the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) in 2021, following the arrest, in 30 June of that year, of the two Portuguese/Indian citizens, of 33 and 53 year old, in the greater Lisbon area.
The group of accused had dozens of compatriots who carried out agricultural work in the Serpa area, district of Beja, charging them high amounts for accommodation, without living conditions, also demanding the payment of alleged social benefits and taxes.
At the time of the arrest of the two in a row, estes foram presentes ao Tribunal de Serpa, ficando em prisão preventiva, tendo o SEF continuado com a investigação que terminou agora com a acusação.
Denúncia de escravatura
A denúncia que existiriam cerca de duas centenas de trabalhadores a serem escravizados, was made, no Twitter, by Catalin Schitco, university student of 20 year old, of Moldovan origin and residing in Portugal for over 18 year old. “I was approached by a resident of a village in Serpa, grandmother of a close friend, who told me the story. He spoke to me because of the notoriety he knows I have here and in politicsâ€, explained the young man to i, adding that the woman managed to communicate with an immigrant who knows Italian.
The Lidador News (LN) contacted the General Command of the GNR by email, who justified that “there is no record of complaints or occurrences related to the described, in the Serpa areaâ€, adding that “Guarda was aware of a publication on a social network with facts identical to the question posed in the email, being the same object of submission to the Public Prosecutor’s Officeâ€, completed the institution.
Serpa City Council reacted in a statement to the revelation made a few days ago by a Moldovan student, that there was in that municipality “a group of 200 enslaved Moldovansâ€, ensuring that not knowledge of the fact.
Inquéritos por crimes ligados à exploração de imigrantes no Alentejo
The Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) has ongoing 29 surveys in Alentejo, almost a third in Odemira, in total are 19 no Beja district, on suspicion of crimes related to the exploitation of immigrants, like human trafficking.
The criminal investigations take place in nine counties and under investigation are 44 people and 26 employers, mentioned the SEF, needing what are concerned 17 crimes to aid illegal immigration and 12 trafficking in persons.
The district of Odemira, no Beja district, is the one with the most investigations going on, in total 10, eight for the crime of aiding illegal immigration and two for trafficking in persons.
The remaining 19 surveys take place in the counties of Évora (five), Beja (four), Serpa (three), Grandola and Portalegre, with two each, and Elvas, Ferreira do Alentejo and Ourique, with one each.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
