“The criminal instruction judge determined that the evidence is insufficient. I believe the Public Ministry, according to the information I have, will appeal the decision; hence, it is a judicial decision that we respect, but we will file an appeal against it,” said Amadeu Guerra today, on the sidelines of an event at a school in Loures to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day.
On November 25, the Judiciary Police arrested 17 people, including 10 GNR soldiers and a PSP agent, on suspicion of exploiting immigrants in Alentejo, as part of the “Safra Justa” operation.
Four days later, the Central Criminal Investigation Court in Lisbon ordered preventive detention for three defendants, all civilians, and justified the release of the 11 security force members by the fact that wiretaps not transcribed by the Public Ministry could not “be used for justification of coercive measures”.
On December 2, the Minister of Internal Administration ordered the opening of disciplinary proceedings, “under the responsibility of the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration (IGAI), for the ten GNR soldiers and the PSP agent constituted as defendants,” as reported to Lusa by the ministry led by Maria Lúcia Amaral.
A source from GNR told Lusa that the 10 soldiers returned to duty that day, being assigned to their respective posts.
The same source stated that GNR is awaiting the implementation of measures within the disciplinary processes.
The PSP agent has been on sick leave since September 2024.
The dismantled criminal organization controlled about 500 foreign workers in Alentejo, but not all are considered trafficking victims, according to a police source.
Regarding the six civilians, the police source specified that four are Portuguese and two are foreigners, “all members of the criminal organization.”
The two foreigners, from South Asia, “recruited victims of the same origin and also coerced and threatened them.”
Among the Portuguese is “the head” of the network, with the others being “his right-hand men,” according to the source.
