Madrid, Dec 16, (dpa/GNA) – A close associate of Guinea-Bissau’s ousted president, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, has been detained in Portugal with around €5 million ($5.9 million) in his possession, just three weeks after the military coup in the West African coastal state.
The man was taken into custody on Sunday after landing at Lisbon’s Figo Maduro military airport. On Monday, he was released on bail because, under Portuguese law, he faced less than five years in prison, according to the Portuguese criminal investigation department.
The identity of the suspect was not disclosed. However, the state news agency Lusa, the TV channel CNN Portugal, and other media outlets cited investigators as saying that he was the “right-hand man” of the former president, who was deposed under unclear circumstances.
Embaló’s wife was also on board the private plane, according to reports. However, she was not detained.
Embaló’s current whereabouts is unknown.
At the end of November, shortly before the election results were announced, Guinea-Bissau’s military said that it had taken power in the Portuguese-speaking coastal state with a population of around 2.2 million.
Embaló said he was initially detained but left the country a few days later, travelling via Senegal and the Republic of Congo to Morocco.
The former general had been in power since 2020.
Critics accuse him of oppressing opposition figures, journalists and human rights activists.
The 53-year-old, whose current whereabouts are unknown, is expected to travel to Portugal soon to seek asylum.
The self-declared transitional government has given itself a deadline of 12 months for the transition. The outcome of the election at the end of November remains unclear.
GNA