Former speaker of Sao Tome parliament released without evidence of involvement in attack on barracks

Former São Tomé parliament speaker Delphim Neves was released on Tuesday for lack of “hard evidence of involvement” in Friday’s barracks attack after being detained by the military as the alleged mastermind, Lusa’s lawyer said.

“Sending [de libertação] was ruled on Tuesday evening by a criminal judge, given the lack of strong and solid evidence of the same [Delfim Neves] be involved,” lawyer for former Sao Tome and Principe National Assembly President Hamilton Vasa told Lusa.

According to the defense of Delfim Neves, he had to establish the identity and length of residence.

The lawyer did not specify whether there are accusations against the deputy.

Delfim Neves was detained by the military early on Friday morning, when he was at home, for allegedly being named one of the leaders of the attack on the army headquarters.

Early on the morning of the 25th, four men attacked the military barracks in the capital Sao Tome, an assault that lasted almost six hours, with intense firefights and explosions, during which they took an officer on duty hostage. who was seriously injured in the attack.

The attack was neutralized at 6:00 am local time (the same time in Lisbon) with the arrest of four attackers and 12 soldiers suspected of involvement in the action, which was classified by the authorities of São Toméa as an “attempted coup”. état” and condemned by the international community.

The military also detained at his home Arlesio Costa, a former Buffalo Battalion officer who was convicted in 2009 of attempting a coup d’état and whom the attackers also identified as the mastermind.

Three of the four attackers and Arlesio Costa died on Friday, and images of men with traces of aggression, bloodied and with their hands tied behind their backs, still alive and also already in the mortuary, have been widely circulated on social networks.

Brigadier General Olinto Paquete, chief of staff of the armed forces, said the three robbers died in an explosion when the military tried to free the hostage, and Arlesio Costa died because he “jumped out of the car.”

Delfim Neves, elected in the October 2018 legislative elections by the Party for Democratic Rapprochement (PCR), presided over the São Tomé Parliament in the previous term, which ended with an absolute majority victory for the Independent Democratic Action (ADI) in last September’s elections. elections.

In this legislative election, he was elected as an MP, along with former ADI Secretary General Levi Nazaré, for the Basta movement, created last June. Currently, his powers are suspended.

Delfim Neves also ran in the 2021 presidential election, finishing third in the first round, a result he contested, claiming there was “massive” fraud.