Operação Pretoriano appeals before Porto Court of Appeal as defence challenges verdicts | OneFootball

According to O Jogo, the Porto Court of Appeal is hearing appeals in Operação Pretoriano this Wednesday. Fernando Madureira, Sandra Madureira and Henrique Ramos attended, while Vítor Aleixo, Vítor Bruno Aleixo and José Pereira were absent.

First-instance sentences included three years and nine months in prison for Fernando Madureira, plus a two and a half year stadium ban. Sandra Madureira, Vítor Aleixo, Vítor Bruno Aleixo and José Pereira received suspended terms, each with a one and a half year ban.

The session began at 14:46. José Pereira’s lawyer, Adélia Moreira, said she would seek the annulment of the verdict, citing violations of defence rights. She added that if Law 39/2009 is deemed inapplicable, the withdrawal of the victim’s complaint could allow his acquittal.

For Fernando and Sandra Madureira, Miguel Marques Oliveira argued there were contradictions and facts wrongly deemed proven, creating reasonable doubt. He said there was no meeting to prepare anything for the assembly, no distribution of tasks, and only half of the defendants could have read the WhatsApp messages.

He added it was not proven that Fernando Madureira took or handed out wristbands, and said messages only urged a mass turnout to avoid humiliating then president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa. Later, the Madureiras’ counsel called the sentences unjust and sought a suspended term for the former Super Dragões leader. The defence for Vítor Aleixo and his son followed, with Aleixo’s lawyer saying he apologised to the victim and to the parents after the assaults.

Source: O Jogo