Naval marines held in Tomar military jail
The police inquiry into the horrific attack last weekend that claimed the life of off-duty PSP agent Fábio Guerra has now seen three men ‘detained’ (two Naval marines, and one a civilian).
Only the civilian has been ‘freed’ – on what are the lightest of bail terms (he doesn’t even have to report in to police at any point).
The civilian does, however, remain an official suspect (‘arguido’).
The other two ‘arguidos’, who have both insisted through various media that they bear no guilt for the tragedy, spent last night in Tomar military prison, and, it appears, will be staying there for the time being.
The two men are in their early 20s: Cláudio Coimbra, 21, is described as “a boxing champion”: Vadym Hrynko, 22 (a dual Portuguese/Ukrainian national) apparently “trained at the same gym”.
This hideous incident saw President Marcelo visit the Alfragide PSP post today where Fábio Guerra was stationed, to offer his sincere condolences to fellow agents in person.
He told reporters that later this evening “as soon as the meeting of the Superior Council of National Defence is concluded” he will be heading to Covilhã to visit the dead agent’s family.
“I don’t want to fail to say to the family what I said to (Fábio Guerra’s) colleagues”, he explained.
Says SIC, the three suspects are all suspected of the crimes of aggravated murder and causing grevious bodily harm.
PJ police have also informed that, “in collaboration and with the cooperation of the PSP”, they have conducted searches of the homes and vehicle of the suspects as well as of the military base to which the two marines were attached.
Yesterday, Expresso carried an article in which it claimed both marines ‘contradicted the accounts of the PSP’ agents, and claimed they had been acting in “legitimate self defence” against a group that had been waiting for them (outside the Mome disco in Lisbon, as the place closed in the early hours of Saturday morning).
This version of events now seems to have moved on.
Says Lusa this afternoon: “According to the PJ, investigations have “allowed the gathering of strong evidence of the authorship of the crimes committed, and supported the issuance, by the competent judicial authority, of arrest warrants“.
The investigation however is still ongoing, although for now no further arrests have been made.
