Fernando Madureira remains in preventive detention

Fernando Madureira, known as “Macaco”, will remain in custody as part of Operation Pretoriano, after the São João Novo Court in Porto rejected the defense’s request for his release. This morning, CNN reported that the Public Prosecutor’s Office, in response, had defended the maintenance of preventive detention. According to a request filed this Thursday, the lawyers consider that the current coercive measure is “inappropriate”. Madureira is the only one of the 12 defendants in Operation Pretoriano in preventive detention.

At the end of the 13th session of the trial, last Thursday, May 29, lawyer Miguel Marques Oliveira argued that there is no risk of disrupting the normal functioning of the process. “Fernando Madureira’s behavior has never been a problem for the court. Fernando Madureira’s freedom does not pose any danger”, said the defense, also suggesting a non-custodial measure of coercion or “contact with the woman”, with periodic presentations and prohibition of contact with the other defendants. The trial resumes on Monday, June 2, when the defense witnesses will begin testifying.

During last Thursday's session, PSP chief Bruno Branco, a former friend of Fernando Madureira and supporter of André Villas-Boas for the presidency of FC Porto, stated that the abuses at the FC Porto General Assembly in November 2023 were premeditated . “By messages, the day before, I told Fernando [Madureira] that I was only going to have the General Assembly challenged. He told me that there was no way, that he was going to split the whole thing in half, there would be a “fight” and the proposal would have to pass”, he revealed.

At issue are 19 crimes of coercion and aggravated threats, seven of offences against physical integrity in the context of a sports event, one of public instigation to commit a crime, another of throwing objects or liquid products and three of attacks on freedom of information, surrounding an FC Porto General Meeting, in November 2023. The defendants began to answer for the 31 crimes at the São João Novo Court, in Porto, on March 17.