The man close to the former president of Guinea-Bissau Sissoco Embaló detained on Sunday in Lisbon on suspicion of smuggling and money laundering was released without going to court, a source from the Judiciary Police (PJ) told Lusa today.
On Sunday, the PJ had informed that the foreign citizen, whom he did not identify, would be questioned by a judge to apply coercive measures, which did not happen, since the main crime of which he is suspected (smuggling) is punishable by a maximum sentence of less than five years in prison.
The defendant, whose proximity to Sissoco Embaló was confirmed to Lusa by a source linked to the investigation, was detained on Sunday by the PJ at Figo Maduro Military Airport, in Lisbon, and in his luggage he had around five million euros in cash, the origin of which will now be investigated by the authorities.
Sissoco Embaló’s wife was also on the plane, coming from Guinea-Bissau, who was not arrested, a source linked to the investigation confirmed to Lusa.
According to a note from the PJ, “the flight was initially classified as military and, after Lisbon, would continue to [o aeroporto de] Beja”, in the south of Portugal, and it was later found that its nature and final destination “were different” from those that had been indicated to the aeronautical authorities.
The police action, in conjunction with the Tax Authority, followed an anonymous tip and the money discovered was seized.
A self-styled “military high command” took power in Guinea-Bissau on November 26, three days after the African country’s general elections (presidential and legislative) and one day before the announced date for the release of the results.
The opposition and international figures have stated that the coup d’état was an act orchestrated by Sissoco Embaló for allegedly having been defeated at the polls, thus preventing the publication of results and arbitrarily arresting several figures who supported the candidate claiming victory, Fernando Dias.
Among those detained is Domingos Simões Pereira, president of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), while Fernando Dias is taking refuge in the Nigerian embassy in Bissau.
After being deposed, Sissoco Embaló left Bissau, on November 28, for Dakar, in Senegal, and days later, he left this country and went to Brazzaville, in Congo.
On December 4th, information was circulating on social media that he had traveled to Morocco the day before.