“I will appeal this sentence. This situation has destroyed me politically and assassinated me in civil society,” stated João Rogério Silva, denying any criminal actions.
The Oliveira do Hospital Court, in Coimbra district, sentenced former national advisor of the Chega party, João Rogério Silva, to a two-year suspended prison term for committing violent damage.
The incident dates back to March 19, 2023, with the court establishing that Silva hit the rear of a vehicle driven by former Chega leader in Oliveira do Hospital, António José Cardoso, and subsequently attacked the vehicle with a knife and hose.
The sentence, which was reviewed, includes a suspended prison execution based on an individual social reintegration plan by the Direção Geral de Reinserção e Serviços Prisionais, aiming to restore the societal values disrupted by the crime. This includes a requirement to pay at least a quarter of the compensation, valued at 1,508.71 euros, to the affected party Valerius Textiles during the suspension period.
Additionally, Silva must compensate António José Cardoso with at least a quarter of the determined compensation amounting to 1,305 euros during the suspension period.
The court affirmed Silva’s responsibility to “actively seek employment and make a serious effort to secure personal financial means for fulfilling imposed duties,” and to attend meetings with the magistrate and social reintegration officer, in addition to accepting home visits and providing proof of subsistence means.
The court found that Silva acted with the deliberate intent to damage Cardoso’s vehicle and intimidate him, leaving him unable to resist.
António José Cardoso, the operations director at Grupo Valerius, expressed satisfaction that all trial facts were confirmed.
“The sentence has significant importance, mandating Mr. Silva to work or face imprisonment if he fails to pay for the damage caused. The moral sentence outweighs the material, as it requires someone from Chega to work to repay debts,” he remarked.
Cardoso, a former municipal coordinator for Chega in Oliveira do Hospital and a 2021 mayoral candidate, suggested the incident was orchestrated, and that both André Ventura and Pedro Pinto were warned about Silva’s character.
Silva noted he was never contacted by the party to clarify the incident that led to the trial and added he ceased being a member due to non-payment of membership fees, as per party regulations.
