The military court prosecutor has requested a six-year prison sentence for Rear Admiral José Américo Bubo Na Tchuto for his alleged involvement in the attempted coup of February 1, 2022. This request comes at the end of a marathon trial, according to the newspaper O Democrata. However, the defense is pleading for acquittal in this case, which has caused a major stir in the capital, Bissau.

According to O Democrata, the prosecution demonstrated the presence of the rear admiral at the National Navy barracks on the day of the events. Bubo Na Tchuto allegedly requested the opening of the armory at the very moment the attack on the government palace was taking place, where the President of the Republic, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, was present at the time, the newspaper reports, citing the military tribunal. Consequently, the prosecution has requested a six-year prison sentence for José Américo Bubo Na Tchuto.

The defense is pleading for a full acquittal

The defense team for the rear admiral, represented by attorney Marcelino Intupe, rejected the military prosecutor's request, arguing that the accusations lacked evidence, and requested his client's acquittal. Intupe spoke to reporters after the final hearing in a process that began shortly after the events of February 2022. This hearing lasted approximately five months, O Democrata reports.

According to the newspaper, the lawyer stated that the prosecutor's office acted in a contradictory manner, arguing that the law did not allow it to present final conclusions, since it was not the one who conducted the investigations—a power which, he said, belongs exclusively to the public prosecutor's office. "It is solely the responsibility of the public prosecutor's office to substantiate the accusations, if the procedure follows its normal course," the lawyer declared.

The lawyer emphasized that Article 117(g) of the Military Justice Code stipulates that only the entity that conducted the investigation can substantiate the accusation. "An accusation cannot be brought without a prior investigation," he stated. "Therefore, we raised preliminary questions and challenged the prosecution's intentions, demonstrating that it was violating the law. The prosecution is playing on appearances by demanding a six-year prison sentence. It is likely that it drew inspiration from elements of another case," he stressed.

Attorney Marcelino Intupe also stated that there were contradictions in the testimonies and a lack of consistent evidence. He added that the person mentioned during the proceedings as having been tasked by Bubo Na Tchuto with opening the arms depot was not the one who held the keys.

According to Mr. Intupe, the prosecution based its entire argument solely on the deputy chief of staff's version of events, without sufficient evidence. "He claimed that Bubo Na Tchuto was escorted by an armed man, but the naval chief of staff stated that this man was unarmed," he noted. The lawyer concluded that he saw no legal basis for convicting his client and guaranteed that he would appeal if the prosecutor's request was granted.

The Supreme Military Court's final decision is expected within 30 days. The defense, however, maintains that the verdict should be delivered within 15 days, "in accordance with legal provisions," reports the newspaper O Democrata.