A superintendent from the Public Security Police (PSP) stated today that FC Porto did not request policing inside the Dragão Arena during the General Assembly (GA) in November 2023, as part of Operation Pretoriano.
During the 12th session of the trial at the São João Novo Court in Porto, the witness held the club’s social bodies accountable for the absence of police action at the venue, as they did not call for PSP intervention, unlike in previous assemblies.
“Our concern was ensuring policing outside. We did not suggest interior policing because it was a private event; that request would have to come from FC Porto. I believe it was not within Carlos Carvalho’s (head of the club’s security) remit to decide that; it should come from the administration,” stated Pedro Filipe.
The officer, responsible for the operational area, explained that he had to be present when attendance at the GA escalated and was, under no circumstance, informed by the club about the change of the meeting location, initially set for the Dragão Stadium auditorium.
“They changed the location within the stadium, and I realized it only from André Villas-Boas’ statements to the media. The assembly started with a thousand people still in line. When I arrived at the pavilion, without ever having entered, I saw some people reporting threats and insults,” he testified.
Additionally, he accused FC Porto of a lack of planning for the AG context, which was in a pre-electoral climate for the club, and thus, in his preliminary assessment, was always going to be very crowded.
“I asked the head of security on the day if he realized that the auditorium might not accommodate everyone. He told me there was a plan B, the presidential box, with a capacity for about 700 people. To me, not even the pavilion could suffice,” he noted.
Throughout the afternoon, several other club members present at the event where statutory changes of the Porto club were to be voted on gave testimony, all depicting a scenario of intimidation and violence, similar to various testimonies from previous sessions.
“More than the violence itself, the image that struck me most was seeing those people, from the board, sitting with crossed legs, doing nothing,” expressed member Pedro Oliveira.
Before the end of the proceedings, the president of the panel of judges rejected the defendants’ Aleixo request at the start of the session, who sought the removal of Henrique Ramos, a process assistant, from the courtroom and court, due to alleged threats at the courthouse door.
The 12 defendants in Operation Pretoriano, including the former leader of the Super Dragões, Fernando Madureira, began answering for 31 crimes at the São João Novo Court, Porto, on March 17, under a heavy police presence in the vicinity.
The case involves 19 crimes of coercion and aggravated threat, seven of physical integrity offenses within a sports event, one of public incitement to a crime, another for throwing objects or liquid products, and three for attacks on freedom of information, related to an FC Porto GA in November 2023.
Among the dozen defendants, Fernando Madureira is the only one in preventive detention, the strongest coercive measure, while the others have been released at different stages.
