A police officer involved in a high-profile homicide case in Portugal now faces charges of perjury, alongside another officer from the same force. This follows an indictment issued by the Public Prosecutor’s Office on October 1.
The officers are accused of providing a misleading account to authorities regarding the discovery of a knife allegedly used to justify the shooting. The investigation seeks to determine if the official report, known as the “auto de notícia,” was authored by the officers and whether the knife found at the crime scene was planted or moved before the death of Odair Moniz.
The indictment suggests that all available evidence reinforces suspicions that the knife was either placed deliberately at the scene or positioned in a way to be visible after Moniz’s death.
However, upon reviewing collected footage and testimonies, the Public Prosecutor’s Office concluded that the officers lied about where they found the knife, falsely claiming to have seen it under Moniz’s body when they lifted him.
The prosecutor has reiterated that the report was crafted to imply the officer acted in self-defense, with the knife being held by Moniz. However, the Public Prosecutor’s statement indicates that none of the testimonies are truthful, suggesting the knife, reportedly, was not under Moniz’s body.
A third officer present at the scene also denied seeing any knife near the body, and a medical professional testified that the weapon was only visible after the body was removed.
In January, it was reported that the Public Prosecutor found no evidence supporting claims that Moniz used a knife to threaten officers during the early morning hours of October 21, 2024, in Cova da Moura, Amadora.
The indictment outlines Moniz’s attempts to flee and resist arrest, but it does not describe any armed threats with a knife. This evidence contrasts an official police statement released on the day of Moniz’s death, which stated that Moniz resisted arrest and attempted an assault using a knife.
Investigations found a 25-centimeter knife with a plastic handle near the crime scene, although there was insufficient biological evidence to obtain a DNA profile.
The Public Prosecutor, upon accessing the indictment, noted discrepancies and inaccuracies in the official report prepared by the Public Security Police (PSP).
Consequently, an independent investigation into the alleged falsification of the police report has been ordered by the Public Prosecutor.
Odair Moniz, aged 43, was killed in Cova da Moura after being shot twice by a PSP officer on October 21, 2024.
The trial of the officer accused of homicide was scheduled for Wednesday but has been postponed to October 22 due to the lawyer’s health issues.
