On Monday, in Beja, the investigative debate will advance regarding a case involving 52 defendants, accused of belonging to a criminal association, human trafficking and money laundering. This case took shape after the identification of 457 individuals living in extremely precarious conditions, in November 2022.
The case, which includes 41 individuals and 10 companies, was pending at the Central Court of Criminal Instruction of Lisbon for almost two years, before being moved to the Court of General Competence of Cuba.
Due to space restrictions, the session took place in the former Civil Government of Beja. The defendants’ defense teams have expressed dissatisfaction with the way the judge has managed the case, particularly criticizing the refusal to accept evidence and hear witnesses, which puts defense rights into question. The decision is expected to be made by March 26 to prevent the release of individuals currently in pretrial custody.
The police investigation that brought this case to light led to the arrest of suspects of different nationalities and the unveiling of transfers of large sums of money to fictitious entities, unmasking an organization that, in five years, handled more than 7.7 million euros, without making the appropriate tax payments or social contributions.
Tags: Instructional Hearing Beja human trafficking network money laundering
