Cape Verde: Praia Court Puts Lawyer In Preventative Detention For Shooting Businessman

The Praia Court, in a ruling on Friday, has ordered a lawyer, Hélder Freire, to await trial in preventive detention for shooting a businessman, Octávio Gomes, at his commercial establishment.

According to A Nação Newspaper, the National Police noted the incident occurred on Monday, July 8, when the armed lawyer went to Gomes’ place of business in Achada Santo António and fired several shots, leaving him injured after a narrow escape.

Following the attack, eyewitnesses reported the armed lawyer fled the scene to his girlfriend’s house in Santa Cruz for shelter.

The suspect, Freire, was reportedly apprehended by the police on Wednesday, the 10th, following an investigation and a judicial warrant. The police also retrieved the would-be murderer’s weapon during the operation.

With the arrest, Freire was brought before the Praia Court judge for interrogation and ordered to be put in preventive detention as a “coercive measure.”

While the case remains under investigation, preliminary information from sources familiar with the incident alleged the attempted murder was motivated by debts between the lawyer and the businessman.

More so, an alleged claim of threats was raised, one that indicated the lawyer had been receiving several threats from the victim, a well-known contractor in the area.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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