Authorities focus on recovering ‘confidential information’ on one of stolen computers
In record time, investigators have ‘got their man’ over the embarrassing theft of computers from a government building.
He is described as a homeless Portuguese ‘drug-addict’, with a history of thefts, on the run from a prison in France.
That’s the good news: the not so good news is that the suspect appears to have ‘sold his booty’ within hours of the heist, and at least one of the computers he took with him ‘may have’ confidential information on it.
Little is being said of the nature of this confidential information. It was housed on the computer of the deputy general secretary of the ministry of internal administration (the ministry charged with keeping state secrets…)
PSP police are said not to believe this was a ‘hired theft’ – by dint of the suspect’s lifestyle. The incident is being painted as a ‘random bit of chancing’, helped by scaffolding.
Reports this morning suggest that investigations continue apace to “track down the stolen computers”. Further detentions could well follow, sources have told the media.
The suspect meantime faces the charge of ‘qualified theft’. It is not clear whether he will be held in preventive custody, or returned to the jail sentence he is said to be evading in France (see update below).
Social media commentary unsurprisingly takes this story with a large pinch of salt – sharing the observation of journalist Camilo Lourenço: “A theft at MAI (ministry of internal administration) allows thieves to steal computers… Detail: security cameras were not working… Someone knew very well what they were doing…”
UPDATE September 5: The thief has been named as Bruno Fernandes, aged 39. He is being kept in preventive custody. Police meantime are intent on tracking down a Senegalese man who they understand purchased the stolen computers from Fernandes shortly after the latter scaled back down the scaffolding, his mission completed.
