In the case involving incidents at the FC Porto General Assembly in November 2023, the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) has sought effective prison sentences of more than five years for six of the 12 defendants: Fernando and Sandra Madureira, Vítor ‘Catão’, Hugo ‘Polaco’, Vítor ‘Aleixo’, and his son of the same name, all associated with the “blue and white” sphere.
During the closing statements, prosecutor Susana Catarino argued for suspended sentences for the remaining six defendants and harsher sentences for Fernando and Sandra Madureira, alleging they led the planning of disturbances at the meeting, which aimed primarily at voting on a statutory revision.
The defense for the two main defendants requested their acquittal and, during the closing arguments, accused the MP of not acting in pursuit of the “search for truth.”
The accusation claims that the Super Dragões sought to “create an atmosphere of intimidation and fear” at the General Assembly, where confrontations and assaults occurred, to ensure the approval of the statute amendment proposal, which was of “interest to the management” then led by Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa.
In the April 2024 elections, Pinto da Costa, who had been club president for 42 years, was defeated by André Villas-Boas.
The MP charges the group with 19 crimes of aggravated coercion and threat, seven of bodily harm within a sports event, one of public incitement to commit a crime, one of throwing objects or liquids, and three of assault on freedom of information.
Following the instructive phase, the court brought all 12 defendants to trial according to the exact terms of the accusation, considering the gathered documentary, testimonial, and expert evidence to be solid.
Fernando Madureira was the only defendant held in preventive detention during the trial, which began in March, while Sandra Madureira, Fernando Saul, Vítor Catão, and Hugo Carneiro, also linked to the fan group, were released during previous stages.
