The chief inspector of the Judicial Police (PJ), tried for assaulting a colleague at the police facilities in Évora, has been sanctioned with an effective suspension of 210 days from duties, as revealed by the Ministry of Justice today.
A source from the Ministry of Justice, when contacted, indicated that the minister, within the scope of the internal disciplinary process of the Judiciary against chief inspector Paulo Ferrinho, decided “to maintain the sanction, which was a 210-day suspension without salary, but to eliminate the suspension period.”
“That is, since an appeal of the disciplinary process was submitted, the minister confirmed the sanction but eliminated the suspension period,” transforming it into “210 days of effective suspension without salary,” the same source added.
Clarifications were sought from the ministry under Rita Alarcão Júdice after it was reported that the minister had annulled the disciplinary penalty suspension of 210 days of work interruption applied by the PJ’s management to the chief inspector.
The minister also allegedly ordered the restitution of money paid by the PJ for the inspector’s defense within the disciplinary framework.
Chief inspector Paulo Ferrinho declined to comment when contacted.
On November 12, 2024, the Court of Évora confirmed that the chief inspector assaulted a colleague on February 11, 2022, at the PJ’s Évora facilities, sentencing him to pay fines and compensation to the complainant.
Now assigned to the PJ’s Northern Directorate, Ferrinho was convicted of simple physical assault with a penalty of 60 days’ fine and slanderous accusation with a penalty of 65 days’ fine, both at a daily rate of 14 euros, totaling 1,750 euros.
In addition to the fines, the defendant was also ordered to pay compensation of 1,500 euros for damages caused to the complainant, as well as the costs of hospital assistance and court fees.
After the verdict, Fernando Porta, the lawyer for the PJ’s chief inspector, acknowledged the potential for appeal to the Court of Appeal in Évora.
Paulo Ferrinho served as head of the Local Criminal Investigation Unit (ULIC) of the PJ in Évora from October 2021 to June 2022.
