The Minister of Internal Administration emphasized today the importance of “never confusing a tree with the forest,” in reference to the case of the PSP officer connected to a neo-Nazi group who was detained last week.
Speaking on the sidelines of the seminar ‘Migrations and Return: New Directions for Europe,’ organized by the PSP at the School of Social Communication in Lisbon, Maria Lúcia Amaral asserted that the crimes this PSP chief is accused of are “unacceptable in a country like Portugal.”
“Never confuse a tree with the forest. The best way to ensure this does not happen in a country like ours is to honor our institutions and the men and women who work there daily,” she added.
Maria Lúcia Amaral attended the seminar’s opening, marking the start of the PSP’s 158th-anniversary celebrations, making this her first public intervention as the head of Internal Administration.
Six Arrests, Four in Pre-Trial Detention
The Judicial Police arrested six suspects last week who are believed to be connected to the Armilar Lusitano Movement, with four remaining in pre-trial detention after appearing before a magistrate for coercive measures.
Among those detained is a PSP officer identified by the Public Prosecutor’s Office as one of the three founders of the neo-Nazi movement established in 2018.
Four of the suspects, including the PSP officer, are implicated in offenses related to a terrorist group, carrying sentences from 8 to 15 years, and terrorist offenses. All six defendants are charged with possession of a prohibited weapon.
The PSP officer was reportedly responsible for conducting in-person recruitment interviews for the group. Bruno Gonçalves, who served as the head of the Lisbon Municipal Police, is among those currently in pre-trial detention.
By mid-2021, the group began recruiting new members, with the officer and a heavy vehicle driver—two of the three founders—utilizing channels like ‘Telegram’ and ‘Signal’ to initiate conversations and disseminate messages.
Candidates had to complete forms with personal information, respond to online questionnaires, and participate in face-to-face interviews led by the PSP chief, Bruno Gonçalves, one of the six people arrested by the police.
