Portuguese police fail to locate 'Papa Smurf' at any of his registered addresses
Portuguese authorities checked known addresses of Diego Marín Buitrago and did not find him. His defence admits the change of residence but insists he remains in the country.
'Papa Smurf' does not appear at any of his known addresses in Portugal
Portuguese Judicial Police verified all registered addresses of Diego Marín Buitrago, alias 'Papa Smurf', and failed to locate him at any of them, according to elcolombiano.com. The Portuguese Embassy transmitted the results of those verifications to Colombian authorities, and the information was subsequently channelled through Interpol.
The search was triggered after Marín Buitrago failed to appear at the two most recent judicial proceedings at which his participation was scheduled. His absence raised concerns among Portuguese authorities, who proceeded to check the addresses that the Colombian had previously reported.
The results of the verifications were set out in an official communication establishing that the Colombian citizen "is not residing at any of the known addresses". The report was sent to Interpol's office in Lyon, France, and reached Colombia through the Dijín.
The defence acknowledges the change of address
The lawyers for 'Papa Smurf' confirmed that their client changed his address in Portugal, but rejected the notion that this amounted to a disappearance or departure from the country. According to the defence, the new address was duly reported to the court handling the case.
Marín Buitrago's representatives further contend that his absence from the most recent proceedings did not constitute a procedural obligation, and that he remains in Portuguese territory and continues to await judicial proceedings against him.
In light of the situation, the lawyers filed a petition for information with Portuguese police requesting details about the verifications carried out and seeking clarification as to why authorities failed to locate him at the registered addresses.
Criminal proceedings at decisive stage
The alert concerning Marín Buitrago's whereabouts emerged at a time when criminal proceedings against him are advancing towards a decisive phase. The prosecution and defence are defining the evidence elements that will be presented in the eventual oral trial.
The prosecution maintains that 'Papa Smurf' was one of the principal figures responsible for an organisation dedicated to smuggling and seeks to obtain a conviction against him.
Interpol red notice and asylum request denied
The precautionary measure in force against Marín Buitrago remains in effect, as does the Interpol red notice. This means that if he leaves Portugal and is located in another country where the international warrant can be executed, he could be arrested.
His continued presence in Portugal is also disputed on another front: the Portuguese court rejected his asylum application, and the defence filed an appeal for a higher court to review the protection request again.
For now, both Colombian and Portuguese authorities have pending the task of clarifying why Portuguese Judicial Police failed to find 'Papa Smurf' at any of the addresses he had registered. His defence insists that the accused remains in Portuguese territory and that the change of address was duly reported to the court.
Source: Google News CO — Crime