Portugal\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Ministry of Justice, announced on Saturday, 24 January, that a team made up of members from the Judicial Police (PJ) and the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences will travel to Maputo, Mozambique, following the death of Portuguese banking executive Pedro Ferraz Reis.<\/p>\n
\u201cFollowing contacts with the Mozambican authorities throughout this week, and within the framework of cooperation between the police and judicial authorities of both countries, a team made up of members of the Judicial Police and the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences will travel to Maputo this weekend. The team will accompany the investigation into the death of businessman Pedro Ferraz Reis, in close cooperation with the judicial and police authorities,\u201d states the communiqu\u00e9 sent to newsrooms this Saturday.<\/p>\n
What is known about this case?<\/b><\/p>\n
Pedro Ferraz Reis, a board member of Banco Comercial de Investimento (BCI), was found dead on 19 January in a bathroom at the Hotel Polana in Maputo, with multiple stab wounds.<\/p>\n
Initially, the authorities stated that the case was a homicide. Subsequently, the spokesperson for the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC), Hil\u00e1rio Lole, ruled out the possibility of a crime. There is now a public petition calling for the establishment of the \u201ctruth of the facts\u201d.<\/p>\n
According to Di\u00e1rio de Not\u00edcias, the petition was launched by \u201cfamily members and close friends\u201d, who are calling for Portuguese State intervention. The document is addressed to the President of Portugal\u2019s Assembly of the Republic, Jos\u00e9 Pedro Aguiar-Branco, and to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn view of the inconsistency of the explanations provided regarding the death of Portuguese citizen Pedro Ferraz Correia dos Reis, which occurred on 19 January in Maputo, Mozambique, we hereby demand the intervention of the Portuguese State in this case, with a view to establishing the truth of the facts and protecting the family of this fellow citizen,\u201d reads the public petition.<\/p>\n
The document further states that the request is made given that \u201cthe investigation carried out by the Mozambican authorities was considered concluded within a short space of time (hours), quickly shifting from the homicide hypothesis to suicide\u201d. It also argues that \u201cthe explanation that Pedro Ferraz Correia dos Reis \u2018left his workplace to go to his home to take a knife from his kitchen, then went to a commercial establishment to purchase two more knives, followed by another establishment to buy rat poison, before committing suicide in a hotel\u2019 is implausible and unimaginable\u201d.<\/p>\n
Who was Pedro Reis?<\/b><\/p>\n
In a statement, BCI expressed its sorrow over the death of Pedro Ferraz Correia dos Reis, recalling his leadership marked by closeness, commitment to the bank\u2019s solidity, and appreciation of people, leaving behind a legacy that will be remembered with recognition and respect.<\/p>\n
\u201cThroughout his career at BCI, Pedro Ferraz Correia dos Reis stood out for his strategic vision, strong sense of responsibility, and exemplary dedication to the institution. He made a decisive contribution to the bank\u2019s development, consolidation and institutional affirmation, always guided by high standards of ethics, professionalism and rigour,\u201d the bank\u2019s note of condolence states.<\/p>\n
According to the Portuguese Diaspora website, Pedro Ferraz Reis was a member of the Executive Board of Banco Comercial de Investimento. He had previously held the position of Chief Financial Officer at the same bank.<\/p>\n
Pedro Ferraz Reis began his career in 1995 as an adviser to the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Managing Director at BFE. Academically, he earned a degree in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Finance from the Portuguese Catholic University. In 2011, he completed a General Management Programme at Harvard Business School.<\/p>\n
Pedro Ferraz Reis, who had lived in Mozambique for 10 years, was also a member of the Council of the Portuguese Diaspora since December 2023.<\/p>\n
Source: Not\u00edcias ao Minuto<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Portugal\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Ministry of Justice, announced on Saturday, 24 January, that a team made up of members from the Judicial Police (PJ) and the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences will travel to Maputo, Mozambique, following the death of Portuguese banking executive Pedro Ferraz Reis. \u201cFollowing contacts […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":96870,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy"],"yoast_head":"\n