Custódio Correia’s first judicial interrogation lasted eight hours. Work resumes at 9:30 am tomorrow
Pedro Calado, Avelino Farinha and Custódio Correia remain detained pending the first judicial interrogation and the application of coercive measures by the criminal investigating judge.
The defendants detained as part of the corruption process in the Autonomous Region of Madeira have been spending the night for a week in the prison attached to the Judiciary Police facilities, in Lisbon, with exclusive exits to the Central Criminal Instruction Court, where they were present today for the sixth turn.
The transport of the three investigated is carried out simultaneously using maximum security in a van escorted by two unmarked PJ cars on an emergency basis. Check out the video of the detainees leaving the Justice Campus towards the PJ:
The first judicial interrogation of Custódio Correia, which began yesterday, continued this Thursday, for eight hours. While the Socicorreia CEO’s investigation phase was taking place, the remaining defendants met with the defense to consult the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s evidentiary evidence.
Upon leaving the Justice Campus, the Braga businessman’s lawyer, André Navarro de Noronha, revealed to journalists that the interrogation will continue tomorrow, at 9:30 am, with the defense presenting questions, taking into account that the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the magistrate have already clarified their doubts.
The prospect is that the investigations will not continue for much longer. Today Custódio Correia “answered rigorously all the questions that were asked”, said the representative, highlighting that the session served to “clarify the truth”.
The detention of defendants until the conclusion of the first judicial interrogation is an exceptional measure to safeguard the investigation and public order. The restriction of the freedom of those under investigation only occurs when strictly necessary to, for example, prevent the defendant from escaping, prevent the continuation of criminal activity or protect victims and witnesses.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office’s investigations focus on facts that occurred from 2015 onwards, likely to substantiate crimes of attack against the rule of law, malfeasance, undue receipt of advantage, passive corruption, active corruption, economic participation in business, abuse of powers and trafficking of influence.
In the context of this case, the now resigned president of the Regional Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, was also accused.