Operation Shark: 11 of 20 suspects remanded in custody in Cape Verde
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on A Nação
Eleven of the 20 suspects arrested in Operation Shark have been remanded in custody by a court in Praia, Cape Verde. The other nine are subject to restrictions, including a travel ban and a ban on contacting co-accused, while some public officials have been suspended, according to A Nação.
The Praia district court on Monday 9 November ordered the pre-trial detention of 11 of the 20 people arrested on 3 November by Cape Verde's Judicial Police as part of Operation Shark. The suspects are being investigated for offences including high-risk drug trafficking, conversion, concealment and money laundering, as well as criminal association, A Nação reports.
The other nine suspects were released provisionally under control measures, including weekly reporting to the Judicial Police, a ban on contact with the other defendants and a ban on leaving the country, with passports and travel documents surrendered. The court also suspended certain functions held by officers of the police, tax guard, prison administration and hospital management, with access restrictions to several sites and databases.
The decision comes after Cape Verde's prosecution service requested the detention of the 20 suspects in Operation Shark on 7 November. The 20 people were arrested in Praia on 3 November, including nine public officials according to information published on 4 November.
