The National Republican Guard (GNR) has responded to the detention of ten of its officers on Tuesday, on suspicion of involvement in illegal activities. The GNR Command stated that the Judicial Police (PJ) “received the full cooperation of the GNR” in the framework of Operation Sagra Justa.
“The Judicial Police counted on the full collaboration and support of the National Republican Guard in the execution of the arrests and presentation of the detainees for initial judicial interrogation,” said a statement released to the media this afternoon.
The statement added, “Necessary coordination measures between the GNR and the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration (IGAI) have already been developed, with this Inspectorate assuming the direction of the respective administrative and/or disciplinary processes.”
The GNR noted that “the presumption of innocence, which must be safeguarded at all times, and considering that the criminal process is under judicial secrecy, the GNR Command is not aware of the specific crimes that its officers may have committed.”
“However, according to the recent statement from the Central Department of Investigation and Prosecution (DCIAP), the GNR officers ‘in exchange for monetary compensation – outside their professional duties and infringing the obligations imposed by their public service roles – have exercised control and surveillance over foreign workers. These suspects further intimidated those citizens, leading them to believe that filing a complaint with the authorities was not a viable option to address the abuses they were or are subjected to,'” it noted.
Thus, “if the suspicions that led to their detention are confirmed, involving behaviors that violate the most basic principles and values dictating military conduct as servants of the law, the GNR will ensure that those responsible are held criminally accountable, cooperating fully and faithfully with the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the PJ.”
“There is no place in the National Republican Guard for individuals whose behavior can corrupt the commitment of honor and ethical exemplariness that guides us and that we assume before the society and citizens we serve,” it emphasized.
At the end of the statement, the GNR “reiterates its total repudiation of any acts that undermine human rights, the dignity of individuals, and the good name of all its military and civilian members, Women and Men who, daily and selflessly, serve Portugal and the Portuguese.”
Ten GNR Officers and One PSP Agent Exploited and Enslaved Immigrants. Detained
It should be recalled that ten officers of the National Republican Guard (GNR) and one agent of the Public Security Police (PSP) were detained on Tuesday morning during an operation by the Judicial Police (PJ) for allegedly exploiting and enslaving immigrants.
In a statement sent to the media, the PJ clarified that it conducted the operation Safra Justa to execute approximately 50 search warrants and 17 arrest warrants in Beja, Portalegre, Figueira da Foz, and Porto.
“At stake,” the authority explained, “is a criminal organization that controlled hundreds of foreign workers, most of whom are in irregular situations in Portugal.”
Ten officers of the National Republican Guard and one agent of the Public Security Police were detained on Tuesday for allegedly exploiting and enslaving immigrants (most of whom are in irregular situations).
