marinha.pt
NRP Patrol Ship Mondego da Portuguese Navy
Military personnel refused to embark on the Portuguese Republic (NRP) Mondego, which thus failed mission of monitoring Russian ship north of Porto Santo.
The Public Prosecution Service accused the 13 military of the Navy who refused to embark on the Portuguese Republic Ship (NRP) Mondego of a crime of disobedience insubordinationindicated the Attorney General’s Office (PGR).
“The prosecutor deduced, on February 12, 2025, prosecution against 13 defendantsMilitary of the Navy of the Garrison of the Mondego ship who, on March 11, 2023, refused to embark, by practice, in material authorship and in the consummate form of a crime of disobedience insubordination ”provided for in the Military Justice Code, refers to Pgr in. According to the PGR, the investigation was directed by the Department of Investigating and Criminal Action (DIAP) of Lisbon.
On March 11, 2023, the Portuguese Ship Mondego failed a monitoring mission of a Russian ship north of Porto Santo Island, in the Madeira archipelago, after four sergeants and nine squares if they refused to board, claiming safety reasonsat a time when the weather forecasts “pointed to 2.5 to 3 meters”, Read in a document prepared by the defendants. According to these 13 military personnel, the NRP commander himself “assumed, before the garrison, that he did not feel comfortable starting with the technical limitations” of the ship. Among the various technical limitations invoked by the military was the fact that a engine and an electric power generator are inoperative.
This action led the Navy to consider that the 13 operational “did not fulfill their military duties, Usurped functionscompetences and responsibilities not inherent in the respective posts and positions. ”
The Navy participated in the succeeded to the Military Judicial Police in Lisbon, in the context of criminal investigation, and established disciplinary proceedings.
In December, the Central Administrative Court the punishments applied by Admiral Henrique Gouveia and Melo to 11 of the sailors who refused to embark on NRP Mondego. The court concluded that the rights of the military were violated during the process, accusing Gouveia and Melo of “illegal acts”namely for maintaining the suspensions after the presentation of appeals against them.
