A Lisbon court has acquitted Guinean MP Manuel Lopes of drug trafficking charges, a case that has drawn significant attention. Lopes, who was arrested in May 2024 at Lisbon Airport with 13 kilograms of cocaine, claimed the ordeal was a "political setup" and expressed his intention to return to Guinea-Bissau.
The Case Details
- Manuel Irénio Nascimento Lopes, a 57-year-old deputy from the Movement for Democratic Alternation (MADEM-G 15), faced a potential prison sentence of 4 to 12 years.
- The arrest occurred after authorities discovered multiple packages of cocaine in his possession.
- Since his arrest, Lopes had been held in preventive detention, awaiting trial.
Lopes' Defense
Lopes maintained his innocence throughout the trial, suggesting that the charges against him were politically motivated. His acquittal marks a significant turn in a case that has been closely watched both in Portugal and Guinea-Bissau.
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