Guinean PR regrets arrest in Portugal of prosecutor caught with drugs – Africa

• Photo: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

Umaro Sissoco Embalo, President of Guinea-Bissau

The President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, lamented this Saturday the arrest in Portugal of a Public Prosecutor allegedly caught with drugs and stressed that the case is being dealt with between the judiciaries of the two countries.

Speaking to journalists upon arrival in Bissau from Portugal where he attended the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the 25th of April, Sissoco Embalo commented on the arrest at Lisbon airport of the Prosecutor, Eduardo Mancanha, on the 21st, allegedly in possession of hashish.

“I regret that it was a magistrate who fell into this situation. Those who must judge cannot fall into this, but as you know the President does not judge, but I was comforted by the statement from the Superior Council of the Judiciary of the Public Prosecutor’s Office on the matter”, noted Embalo.

The Superior Council of the Judiciary of the Public Ministry decided to suspend Eduardo Mancanha, who was on leave for his doctorate in Portugal, and also ordered that disciplinary proceedings be initiated.

The Guinean President stated that the case “is making waves” in Guinea-Bissau “more than in Portugal”, where, he said, the detained Prosecutor is receiving treatment “in line with his status”.

“It’s nothing out of this world, many countries in the world have had magistrates who got involved in something like this”, said Sissoco Embalo, highlighting that he doesn’t “cheer” when the image of Guinea-Bissau is at stake.

Embalo highlighted that the case is being dealt with between the judiciaries of Portugal and Guinea-Bissau and took the opportunity to remember that recently in a neighboring country “a drug boat was caught, but without fuss”, he stressed.

Regarding the fact that a group of Guinean citizens demonstrated against their presence in the 25th of April celebrations, Sissoco Embalo said that he is not concerned about that and that his focus is on Guinea-Bissau.

Among other adjectives, the group called Embalo a dictator.

“I am not a dictator, I am a disciplinarian. I care about failed people. I only care about the people of Guinea-Bissau to whom I gave back their self-esteem. My focus is to make the State of Guinea-Bissau respected”, Embalo highlighted .

By the way, he announced that on the 1st of May he will attend the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the former colonial prison of Tarrafal, in Cape Verde, and on the 30th, he will receive in Bissau, the new President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye.