Killers of Loulé businessman on Interpol wanted list
Jonathan Araújo and Paulo de Souza, suspects in the homicide of Ricardo Claro in the Algarve, are on the run in Brazil. International arrest warrants have already been issued.
Two suspects in Ricardo Claro homicide on the run for nearly three months
The names of Jonathan Araújo and Paulo de Souza are now on Interpol's wanted list, nearly three months after the murder of businessman Ricardo Claro in the Algarve. According to Correio da Manhã, international arrest warrants have been issued, but authorities have no leads on the whereabouts of the two suspects, who fled Portugal for Brazil a few hours after the crime.
Ricardo Claro, aged 50, was financial director of the luxury restaurant Well, in Vale de Lobo, Loulé. The businessman was last seen after a dinner at his mother's house in Faro and remained missing for several weeks before his body was found.
Lured into a trap by someone he trusted
The scheme began with Rogério, a 39-year-old man also of Brazilian nationality, who had previously worked for Ricardo Claro and with whom he maintained a close personal relationship. Rogério admitted to serving as bait to lure the victim, but denied any direct involvement in the killing. The judge handling the case imposed the most serious preventive measure on him — pre-trial detention — and he is charged with qualified homicide.
Wrists bound and hours locked in a car boot
Ricardo Claro's body was discovered in April on wasteland. His wrists and ankles were bound with adhesive tape. According to the investigation, he spent close to three hours locked in the boot of a car whilst the suspects checked the codes on his bank cards and accessed the restaurant's safe, where approximately 30,000 euros was stored.
After obtaining the money, the victim was murdered by blows. The autopsy revealed multiple injuries and fractures throughout the body, confirming the violence of the attack.
Interpol activated, but without leads
With the two main suspects in Brazil since the early hours after the crime, Portuguese authorities resorted to international cooperation mechanisms. The arrest warrants were issued and the names of Jonathan Araújo and Paulo de Souza now feature on Interpol's wanted list. Nevertheless, Correio da Manhã reports that there are currently no concrete leads as to the whereabouts of the two men.
Source: Correio da Manhã