In a dispatch signed on Tuesday and reviewed today, Judge Carlos Camacho of the Sintra Court, overseeing the case, acknowledged the “inability of the Brazilian judicial authorities to transmit the complete process,” and announced that the court would “proceed with the discussion and trial hearing.”
The document also states that all parties involved must be notified, with a deadline of 10 days set by the judge.
This decision follows a letter sent last week by the Attorney General’s Office, via the Department of Judicial Cooperation and International Relations, to the Sintra Court indicating that Brazilian authorities “reported they were unable to comply with the request, as the requested images were not located.”
The Brazilian authorities informed the Attorney General’s Office, according to the case documents, that “potential media [recordings] related” to the Duarte Lima case were not found.
Portugal has repeatedly requested that the Brazilian justice system send the missing information necessary for the trial. However, the response from Brazilian courts has been consistent, stating they have no additional procedural pieces related to Duarte Lima.
In a request made last year, the Public Prosecutor’s Office explained that the recordings requested by Portugal are “clearly relevant for the proper resolution of the case and discovery of the factual truth.”
Former deputy Duarte Lima was accused of the murder of Rosalina Ribeiro in Brazil in 2009. The trial was initially scheduled for November 2022 but has faced delays due to unnotified witnesses in Brazil and the absence of recordings.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office believes that Duarte Lima received funds transferred by Rosalina Ribeiro into his bank account, which were part of the inheritance of Lúcio Thomé Feteira.
The former PSD deputy allegedly insisted that Rosalina Ribeiro sign a declaration stating the transferred money belonged to Duarte Lima. When she refused, the Public Prosecutor’s Office contends, Duarte Lima allegedly killed Rosalina Ribeiro.
