Tavares de Almeida

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The chief inspector of Portimão, Tavares de Almeida

Updated on 10/10/2007

One of the investigators of the Maddie case goes to trial

Inspector accused of hitting with a board
The chief inspector of Portimão, Tavares de Almeida - responsible for the Maddie case, who asked leave, as reported in the 24 hours - and two other PJ inspectors are accused by the Public Ministry (MP) to have attacked a suspected theft with a rip in the feet, repeatedly and with such violence that it broke up.

Virgolino Borges, according to the minutes of the debate instrutório that the 24 hours had access, was conducted at the premises of the PJ in March 2000. And there have been who was beaten to confess a crime of theft in the workplace, the CP.
The railway claims to have taken a "slap in the face", was handcuffed and "forced to stand." "He was punched several times in the area of the stomach, kidneys and ribs" and he was ordered to descalçasse, describes the document.

"He suffered several blows with a rip in the feet, until it was starting up," says our MP . Virgolino denied ever having made ​​any theft. "He spent hours and lived in the interrogation of terror," says acusação.Mesmo well, was arrested and brought to court the next day.

The investigating judge of the Court of Sintra had him at liberty, after a night spent in the dungeons of PJ. Virgolino states only have been assisted in the Amadora-Sintra Hospital after being freed by the judge, because he feared "reprisals." The report prepared at the hospital speaks of "item-contusion wound covered by a crust, about 4 cm in the occipital region." At the time, the MP chose to dismiss the case. It held that the alleged victim spent two days without complaining. It did not work as evidence that those injuries had been caused by the inspectors who interrogated.

The process took a turn when a prison guard chain attached to PJ Virgolino complained admitted that during the night and that was even assisted by a nurse.
Lawyer of Virgolino, Marino and Barbara Pinto, requested the opening statement. Instrutório the debate that occurred last week in Lisbon, the prosecutor prosecutors chose not to pronounce the three inspectors, Alves da Cunha, Diamantino dos Santos and Tavares de Almeida, the crimes of abuse of power and failure to report.
But he decided to take them on trial for "crimes of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment."

Henrique Pires Teixeira's lawyer Chief Inspector Tavares de Almeida, said yesterday that 24 hours so you are notified of this decision will appeal to the
Court of Appeal .

Justice
Bar Association remains as an assistant to the Rail Case
by i to Lusa, Published July 14, 2009

The Bar remains as an assistant in Rail Case involving alleged abuse of PJ inspectors to a suspected theft, the Court of Appeal decided in Lisbon, rejecting an appeal by the defense.

Three agents of the Criminal Investigation Department's Lisbon PJ requested the revocation of the court who accepted the intervention of the Bar (OA) in the process. But the court held that such a move "lacked interest in acting and legitimate" and dismissed the action because it is "both impractical and contrary to law."

In order of 8 July the 3rd Circuit Court of the District of Lisbon, the Lusa news agency had access, the court justified the rejection with the "manifestly unfounded", considering that the grounds raised by the defense of the inspectors "are inatendíveis."

The facts of the case of the alleged assaults on Virgolino Borges report to March 2000. The official CP (trains Portugal), robbery suspect in an action brought before the Court of Sintra, was interrogated on the premises of the Judicial Police in Lisbon, after having been made accused.

The case was eventually filed by the prosecutor, after which the prosecution requested the investigation and, on 04 October 2007, Judge of the 3rd Circuit Court Criminal Lisbon decided to give inspectors Tavares de Almeida, Alves da Cunha Diamond and the Saints.

Referred to the court that the man "suffered a slap in the face, was handcuffed with his hands behind his back, forced to stand and punched several times, notably in the area of ​​the stomach, kidneys and ribs," after which he was ordered to descalçasse to beat him with "a rip in the feet, until it was starting up."

The judge to whom the case was distributed Railway understood that the agents claimed that Virgolino PJ Bennett "confessed the authorship of the theft," but the official CP "has always denied the practice of the facts alleged against him."

The interrogation lasted from 19:00 hours on March 2 until the first two hours the next day and the accused was admitted to the Establishment of Prisonal PJ at 02:30 hours, consisting of the admission form that showed "signs of aggression."

The nurse noted that in his report that Virgolino Borges had "pain and abdominal and chest" and "a few scratches and bruises, which, according to the inmate, in PJ were caused by assault."

After another hearing, in the late afternoon of March 3, Virgolino Borges "said nothing about their health and beatings on the (...) for fear of possible retaliation," the defendant was released and, after arriving their residence, was eventually sent to the Amadora-Sintra Hospital.

The medical examination diagnosed a "trauma of the right rib cage, with swelling, pain and difficulty breathing", and "a sore blunt-item" in the head, "covered by a crust, about four inches long, in the occipital region" .

The three inspectors of the PJ was not pronounced for the crimes of abuse of power and failure to report, but the court decided on the pronunciation, in the usual process, the alleged assaults on Virgolino Borges.

The court also agreed to defer the establishment of OA as an assistant in the process, similar to what happened in the Joana case, in which current and former PJ inspectors were on trial for alleged torture to enforce confession from the child's mother disappeared in 2004, in the village of Figueira in Portimão.

The first trial of Case Rail was scheduled for the end of last year, but a new production of evidence led to the postponement to a date still unknown, because they could not do it in time before the hearing.

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A Ordem dos Advogados mantém-se como assistente no Caso Ferroviário, que envolve alegadas agressões de inspectores da PJ a um suspeito de furto, decidiu o Tribunal da Relação de Lisboa, indeferindo o recurso apresentado pela defesa.

Três agentes do Departamento de Investigação Criminal de Lisboa da PJ requereram a revogação da decisão judicial que aceitou a intervenção da Ordem dos Advogados (OA) no processo. Mas o tribunal entendeu que tal diligência "carecia de interesse em agir e legitimidade" e rejeitou o recurso, por ser "simultaneamente inviável e contrário à lei".

No despacho de 08 de Julho da 3ª Vara do Tribunal da Comarca de Lisboa, a que a agência Lusa teve acesso, o tribunal justifica a rejeição com a "manifesta improcedência", considerando que os fundamentos invocados pela defesa dos inspectores "são inatendíveis".

Os factos do processo das alegadas agressões a Virgolino Borges reportam-se a Março de 2000. O funcionário da CP (Comboios de Portugal), suspeito de roubo numa acção interposta no Tribunal de Sintra, foi interrogado nas instalações da Polícia Judiciária em Lisboa, após ter sido constituído arguido.

O processo acabou por ser arquivado pelo Ministério Público, após o qual a acusação requereu a abertura da instrução e, a 04 de Outubro de 2007, a juíza da 3ª Vara do Tribunal Criminal de Lisboa decidiu pronunciar os inspectores Tavares de Almeida, Alves da Cunha e Diamantino dos Santos.

Refere o tribunal que o homem "sofreu uma chapada na cara, foi algemado com as mãos atrás das costas, obrigado a permanecer de pé e socado por diversas vezes, designadamente na zona do estômago, rins e costelas", após o qual foi-lhe ordenado que se descalçasse, para que lhe batessem com "uma ripa nos pés, até que a mesma se foi partindo".

A juíza a quem foi distribuído o Caso Ferroviário entendeu que os agentes da PJ pretendiam que Virgolino Borges "confessasse a autoria do furto", mas o funcionário da CP "negou sempre a prática dos factos que lhe eram imputados".

O interrogatório prolongou-se das 19:00 horas de 02 de Março até às primeiras duas horas do dia seguinte e o arguido deu entrada no Estabelecimento Prisonal da PJ às 02:30 horas, constando da ficha de admissão que apresentava "sinais de agressão".

O enfermeiro que o observou referiu no seu relatório que Virgolino Borges apresentava "dores nas e na região abdominal e peitoral" e "algumas escoriações e nódoas negras, que, segundo o recluso, foram causadas na PJ por agressão".

Após outro interrogatório, no final da tarde de 03 de Março, onde Virgolino Borges "nada disse quanto ao seu estado de saúde e sobre as agressões (...) por medo de eventuais retaliações", o arguido foi libertado e, depois de chegar à sua residência, acabou por ser encaminhado para o Hospital Amadora-Sintra.

O exame médico diagnosticou um "traumatismo da grelha costal direita, com edema, dor e dificuldade respiratória", além de "uma ferida inciso-contusa" na cabeça, "coberta por crosta, com cerca de quatro centímetros de comprimento, na região occipital".

Os três inspectores da PJ não foram pronunciados pelos crimes de abuso de poder e omissão de denúncia, mas o tribunal decidiu-se pela pronúncia, em processo comum, pelas alegadas agressões a Virgolino Borges.

O tribunal aceitou também deferir a constituição da OA como assistente no processo, à semelhança do que aconteceu no Caso Joana, em que actuais e ex-inspectores da PJ foram a julgamento por alegada tortura para obrigar à confissão da mãe da criança desaparecida em 2004, na aldeia de Figueira, em Portimão.

O primeiro julgamento do Caso Ferroviário esteve marcado para o final do ano passado, mas uma nova diligência probatória levou ao adiamento para data ainda desconhecida, porque não era possível realizá-la em tempo útil antes da audiência.