Fernando Madureira was the only one to receive effective sentence under Operation Praetorian: three years and nine months in prison, as well as two years of prohibition to attend sports. Fernando Saul, one of the 12 defendants in the process, says it is a “relief” to have been acquitted.
Fernando Saul, one of the 12 defendants in the process of Operation Praterian, was acquitted this Thursday by the São João Novo Court, in Porto, and expressed relief by the decision, after almost two years involved in the court case.
“I have children, I am a human being, I had my life ravaged these two and a half years. It is a relief, of course. I always said that I had nothing to do with the Assembly. But I always believed in court,” he said: “I was very later to AG, I was involved with my wife. circus that did not exist “.
Madureira was sentenced to effective arrest
Also José Dias was acquitted, while the remaining 10 defendants were sentenced to prison sentences, with Fernando Madureira to be the only one to receive effective sentence: three years and nine months in prison, and two years of prohibition to attend sports.
Fernando Madureira’s wife, Sandra Madureira, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, with suspended sentence, and is banned from attending sports for six months. Already Vitor Catão was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, with suspended sentence, and a year and a half of interdiction.
Hugo Polaco (two years and nine months), Vitor Aleixo (two years and 10 months) and his son with the same name (three years and three months), Carlos Jamaica (two years and 10 months), Hugo Loureiro (four years and one month), José Pereira (two years and 10 months), all and a half months of sports to sports enclosures were also applied.
“This stage is over”
Cristiana Carvalho, lawyer of Fernando Saul, was satisfied with the decision, but surprised by the effective arrest penalty applied to Fernando Madureira.
“It surprised me not to suspend Fernando Madureira’s sentence. I think it doesn’t make much sense, because there were defendants with higher penalties that were suspended. I can’t understand. But what interests me is my client,” he said, adding: “I’m very happy, this step is so obvious.
Outside the court, the moods exalted themselves when Fernando Madureira’s departure, with relatives and supporters of the former Super Dragons leader, concentrated outside the PSP security perimeter, beating with pots and chanting songs in their support.
Sandra Madureira abandoned the place in silence, under applause, and the couple’s lawyers Madureira refused to make statements to journalists.
The case began with the disturbances registered at the FC Porto Extraordinary Assembly of November 13, 2023, with the Public Prosecution Service (MP) accused the defendants to act in a concerted manner to create a climate of intimidation among the partners and condition the voting of a statutory review, a few months from the club elections, which led André Villas-Boas to the club’s presidency, 2024.
The defendants’ defenses had requested their acquittal and accused the MP of not having sought “the truth of the facts.”
Lame
