INSPECTORS INVOLVED in the investigation of the Joana case have chosen to withdraw their defamation of character complaint against Leonor Cipriano, who accused them of physical assault during interrogation. The news was announced at the weekend by the policemen’s lawyer, António Colaço.
Last week, the policemen were the subject of an identification parade but were not recognised by the alleged victim, Leonor Cipriano. The honesty displayed by Leonor at the identity parade was one of the reasons given by the Associação Sindical dos Funcionários da Investigação Criminal (ASFIC), the union for crime investigation officers, for the withdrawal of the complaint. Leonor confirmed two of the policemen in the parade had interviewed her but had not assaulted her, and stated that she did not recognise the other two.
However, the president of ASFIC, Carlos Anjos, criticised the Departamento de Investigação e Acção Penal (DIAP), the authority in charge of the enquiry, for the way the case has been handled, as the inspectors were always treated as defendants and not as plaintiffs.
António Colaço also informed the DIAP that the complaints against weekly newspaper Expresso and two journalists were also retracted.
