The trial of 12 Moldavians, variously accused of extortion and murder, has come to an end with jail sentences handed down to all the suspects concerned. The Portimão court handed down a 23-year jail term to one of the defendants. Four men were given jail sentences of two, eight, 10 and 11 years and the remaining seven accused each received a sentence of 18 months. The sentencing is the culmination of a process that dates from 2001, when the suspects committed a series of crimes in the centre of the country. Their victims were mostly other Eastern Europeans, including an immigrant who was murdered at the Hotel Tarik in Praia da Rocha. Several of the prisoners now face imminent extradition because they have already served 18 months in preventative custody. All of the deportees face a 10-year jail term if they ever return to Portugal.
Dirty dozen
