THE CHIEF of the PSP firearms and explosives department gave evidence in court on January 9, in the closed trial involving 16 members of PSP police charged in March 2006 over illegal arms and corruption.
Valdemar Coroado was called as a witness to the case by the Public Ministry at the Monsanto court in Lisbon.
One arguida, a PSP administrator, said: “He should be judged like an arguido, given the responsibility that he has for the firearms and explosives department.”
Teixeira Miguel, one of the defence lawyers, told the press outside, after the court session, that Valdemar Coroado was the only witness to have been questioned by the Public Ministry but not by the PSP or PJ police during the investigation.
He also said that the previous national PSP director, Branquinho Lobo, and the current director, Orlando Romano, have not been called as witnesses.
On the same day, Nuno Arrojado, an ex-employee from a gun shop co-owned with relatives of two arguidos Henrique Martinho and Celestino Rei, was also heard as a witness in court.
Nuno Arrojado explained the entire process of the gun shop to the court from the moment a firearm is imported until it is sold to a customer.
The trial was due to continue on Wednesday (January 16).
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