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One opposition deputy and one soldier were on Thursday detained by the Sao Tome and Principe defence and security forces for allegedly attempting to overthrow “constitutional order” in the country by assassinating the prime minister, Patrice Trovoada, the government announced in a statement.
The deputy in question was elected to parliament for the MLSTP-PSD, while the soldier is a sergeant in the armed forces, according to the minister of defence and internal administration, Arlindo Ramos, who read out the statement.
“The state defence and security forces today dismantled an attempt at subversion of the constitutional order through the premeditated assassination of the prime minister and head of the government, Patrice Trovoada,” he said, adding that the forces had “overseen the detention of the main protagonists.”
According to Ramos, the two detainees have been identified as Gaudêncio Costa, a former minister of agriculture, and opposition deputy, and Ajax Managem, a sergeant in the armed forces.
“The evidence gathered … by the services reveal in addition to the premeditated [nature of the plan], a strong determination in the execution of its designs, national and foreign complicity,” Ramos said, adding that it was now up to public prosecutors and the Polícia Judiciária police force to investigate.
The government also stressed that “the investigations continue so as to bring to justice all those implicated” and that “in view of this situation the defence and security forces are standing by to defend legality, the Constitution and the Rule of Law.”
According to the statement, “the country is calm, under the control of the government and [that] all should offer their collaboration for the preservation of peace and tranquillity”.
The alleged “attempt at subversion of the constitutional order” took place 48 hours after the country’s president, Evaristo Carvalho, concluded a two-week tour of barracks used by the country’s defence and security forces.
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