The session for the reading of the verdict is scheduled for 11:15 AM, taking place approximately a month and a half after the trial began.
Marco Pontes, who at the time of the fatal hit-and-run of worker Nuno Santos was the driver for the then Minister of Internal Administration (MAI), is the sole defendant in the case and faces a charge of gross negligent homicide.
At the start of the trial on May 22, the former driver stated he was unaware of the car’s speed, emphasizing he was caught off guard by the pedestrian in the middle of the highway’s left lane.
The defendant, who ceased being the MAI driver in 2022, explained to the court that no instructions were given to him regarding the speed of the car transporting the minister after a trip to Portalegre, and that he was not in a hurry to reach Lisbon.
During the final arguments exactly two weeks ago, the public prosecutor considered the facts outlined in the indictment to be proven, thereby asserting that the defendant “should be convicted of negligent homicide.”
The lawyers representing the victim’s family and the Association of Self-Mobilized Citizens (ACA-M), who acted as assistants in the case, requested the conviction of the defendant, while the defense and an insurance company argued for acquittal.
Entering the first court session, lawyers for the victim’s family and ACA-M, José Joaquim Barros and Paulo Graça, respectively, expressed regret that Eduardo Cabrita was not being tried in this case.
In parallel, there is a civil compensation claim by the victim’s wife, totaling 60,000 euros.
The incident dates back to June 18, 2021, when the official vehicle carrying Eduardo Cabrita, driven by Marco Pontes, fatally struck Nuno Santos, 43, an employee of a company conducting maintenance on the A6 at kilometer 77.6, in the Estremoz-Évora direction.
On December 3, 2021, the Public Prosecutor charged Marco Pontes with negligent homicide, and on the same day, the then Minister of Internal Administration resigned from his position.
