Guinean lawyer Marcelino Intupé, who represents 18 detainees, including military and civilians accused of an attempted coup, told Lusa that he fears that their trial, which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, will be postponed.
Intupé said he had this feeling based on “the ongoing maneuvers”, presumably by the political power, to transfer the process from the Public Ministry to the Military Justice Prosecutor’s Office.
The Bissau Regional Court scheduled for Tuesday, December 6, the start of the trial of 25 of the approximately 40 detainees suspected of involvement in the February 1 coup attempt.
Among the 25 people to be tried, three will be in absentia because their whereabouts are unknown.
The lawyer also mentioned that the beating he suffered at his residence, on November 29, according to what he said, by uniformed men in military uniform, is part of the plan to prevent him from appearing in the room “for a possible trial”, in his case. It will take place on December 6.
I don’t believe (in the trial) because so far I am not aware that the suspects have actually been notified. The information I have is that the General Staff (of the Armed Forces) refused to notify these people,” said Marcelino Intupé.
The lawyer added that without the suspects having been notified, their trial cannot take place, despite the fact that their official defenders have been legally informed of the start of the process in the Bissau Regional Court.
Marcelino Intupé claimed to be in possession of information indicating that, “at least on two occasions”, the new Attorney General of the Republic, Edmundo Mendes, the Minister of Justice, Teresa Alexandrina da Silva, and the president of the Superior Military Court, Quintino Quadé, would have held meetings to send the case to military justice.
For the lawyer, the strategy of political power “is to have people accused” of some people “whom it considers involved” in the attempted coup for not being charged at this time by civil justice, he said.
Intupé fears that the situation will take away the credibility of the process and that “make it take even longer to find out the truth about what really happened” last February 1st.
That day, armed men from the Guinean army attacked the Government Palace, at a time when a meeting of the Council of Ministers was taking place, chaired by the Guinean head of state, Umaro Sissoco Embaló.
Despite the fears, Marcelino Intupé promised to be present in court next Tuesday.
Asked if he plans to file a criminal complaint against the perpetrators of the attack he was subjected to, the lawyer said that he personally has no intention of taking any action, but he said he was aware of the intention of the Guinean Bar Association. Bissau to take legal action in this regard.
“I think that because it is a public crime, my intervention is not necessary, the Judicial Police have to do their job,” Marcelino Intupé observed.
Source: Observadora
