Lawyers for the 13 soldiers on the Mondego, who will be heard on Monday by the military judicial police in Lisbon, argue that “there is evidence that has been erased” by the navy and will require proof.
A defense source told Lusa that “there is evidence that is being erased” and that the Mondego vessel “was completely cleared” on Wednesday before heading to the whereabouts of the two TVs. He added that a plane with materials flew to Funchal to repair the ship.
The source said that the Portuguese Navy claims that the Mondego is in “seaworthy condition” and that this has been “confirmed by inspection”. But said inspection was carried out by the Navy without the presence of any other persons, and on the basis of this, “repairs began on board the ship,” he said.
The source assured that on Monday, when 13 soldiers will be heard before the Military Judicial Police (MJP) as part of a criminal investigation, defense lawyers will “demand evidentiary measures”, hoping that they “do not become impracticable.” “In order to state the discovery of truth.
The 13 soldiers who refused to board the Mondego ship on the 11th, saying the ship was unsafe, will be heard on Monday at two periods: in the morning (10:00) and in the afternoon (14:00). The military is defended by lawyers Paulo Graza and Garcia Pereira.
Last Thursday, Paulo Graça, in an interview with Luza, found the Navy Chief of Staff’s statements disturbing and criticized the “public decision” issued by the Navy.
The lawyer said the Navy Chief of Staff’s statements were “alarming” because Gouveia e Melo had “already made a judgment” about the facts, and “that judgment was made without the persons concerned having the opportunity to speak of their justice or defend themselves.” .
He then stated that “the Navy has been broadcasting a certain version of the facts for five days, and no one has heard the parties concerned and what they (13 soldiers) have to say about this situation.”
On the night of the 11th IRP (Portuguese Republican ship), Mondego did not complete the mission to escort the Russian ship north of Porto Santo, in Madeira, because 13 garrison soldiers (four sergeants and nine soldiers) refused to land for security reasons.
On Thursday, Lusa contacted a PJM public relations officer who confirmed that “a group of military personnel have been advised to report to PJM next Monday” to be “heared by the PJM criminal investigation team as part of a criminal investigation.” He added that this was a crime of a “strictly military” nature and of an “urgent nature.”
While no further details have been provided on these criminal charges, the violations of the Code of Military Justice regarding “insubordination by defiance” and “insubordination by illegal arrest or unlawful severity” will be at issue.
The head of the navy, Gouveia e Melo, in a statement Thursday in the port of Funchal, criticized the soldiers on the Mondego ship for disobeying orders, saying the matter was “very serious.”
“The Navy cannot forget, ignore or forgive acts of indiscipline, whether the soldiers are tired, unmotivated or worried about their realities,” he stressed, directly asking the rebel soldiers: “What interests did you defend? No, of course not, especially yours. Only together we will overcome difficulties, and you separated us.
Among the various technical limitations cited by the military to refuse to board the ship was the fact that the engine and electric generator were not working.
The Navy confirmed that the Mondego had a “failure in one of its engines” but stated that warships “can operate in a very degraded mode without compromising safety” because they have “very complex and very redundant systems”.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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