Operation Praetorian: Fernando Madureira remains in pre-trial detention

Fernando Madureira, leader of the FC Porto Super Dragões cheerleader, and Hugo Carneiro, known as Polaco, will remain in preventive detention, as part of Operation Praetorian, the Porto Criminal Instruction Court (TIC) decided.

According to the order, cited by the Lusa agency and dated Tuesday, the judge states that “the grounds of fact and law that justified the imposition of coercive measures applied to the defendants remain unchanged”.

Madureira and Polaco will remain in preventive detention, while Vítor Catão will remain under house arrest with electronic surveillance, as defended by the Public Ministry (MP).

In the request for reassessment of the coercive measures, the defendants argued that, since the application of the coercive measures, three months ago, “numerous actions and campaign events have taken place without any disrespect or altercation occurring”.

«Given that, on the 27th of April, the elections for the governing bodies of FC Porto were held, which took place in peace and tranquility, with no record of incidents, aggression, intimidation, pressure or insults, from anyone. . Therefore, with the electoral period over, the dangers of disruption to public order and social peace are substantially reduced”, they maintained.

The arguments, however, did not convince the Porto TIC. «It should be noted that the coercive measures depriving freedom were not only based on the holding of FC Porto’s electoral act, as the defendants suggest, but rather had underlying a vast collection of circumstances explained in the judicial order applying coercive measures and which include the dangers of continuing criminal activity, disturbing public order and tranquility and acquiring, preserving or veracity of evidence.»

The judge also pointed out that «even if the passage of FC Porto’s electoral act is considered, the truth is that its aftermath is still being experienced, with the future transfer of functions and transition of power within the club, not yet fully implemented» .

«It is legitimate to conclude, on the other hand, that the lack of social unrest and sporting incidents such as those that have been occurring is precisely the result of the coercive regime imposed on the defendants in the present case. Furthermore, the investigation has continued its course and the dangers relating to the acquisition, preservation and genuineness of evidence justifying the application of such measures remain unchanged, and it is also important to carry out additional investigative steps, freely and free from pressure”, he concluded .