LISBON, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa called for patience on Friday as demands grew for the defense minister to resign over the scandal of the theft and recovery of arms at the Tancos military base.
"There is an investigation under way and that investigation is going through the due procedures," said Rebelo de Sousa. "We must follow what's being done, without interfering, and afterwards respect and consider its conclusions."
On Thursday, the Expresso newspaper reported that Defense Minister Azeredo Lopes had been informed in December that the recovery of stolen arms had been a set-up. Azeredo Lopes immediately denied the accusation.
The case relates to the June 2017 theft of weapons and explosives from an arms depot in Tancos, 130 km northeast of Lisbon.
The weapons were recovered in October 2017 after a tip-off from an anonymous phone call.
A Judicial Police (PJ) investigation followed. On Sept. 25, four members of the Military Judiciary Police (PJM), including the director, Luis Vieira, were arrested, along with three members of the National Republican Guard (GNR).
They were held on suspicion of undermining a Judicial Police (PJ) investigation.
On Monday, Major Vasco Brazao, in command of a Portuguese unit serving under a United Nations mandate in Central African Republic, was summoned home and detained.
According to Expresso, Vasco Brazao, a spokesman for the PJM, told investigators that he had informed Vieira and Azeredo Lopes that the weapons recovery had been staged.
On Friday, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa reiterated his support for Azeredo Lopes.
"There is undoubtedly much that still needs to be resolved, not least the capture of the thieves," said Costa. "But I see no reason whatsoever to lose trust in the national defense minister."
Rebelo de Sousa's and Costa's comments were made to journalists in Lisbon while attending Portugal's Day of the Republic commemorations. Oct. 5 is a public holiday in Portugal called to honor the 1910 revolution that overthrew the monarchy.
