Rogério Osório appointed as Azores prosecutor amid ongoing investigations

The Superior Council of the Public Ministry (CSMP) has approved the appointment of prosecutor Rogério Osório as the coordinator for the Azores district. The decision has sparked controversy due to ongoing criminal and disciplinary investigations involving Osório.

The investigations stem from a November 2024 incident in Valença do Minho during a GNR operation against a group suspected of jewelry store robberies. During the encounter, Osório fired shots at fleeing suspects, hitting one individual in the abdomen and wrist. While the suspects were later convicted, the legal and disciplinary proceedings against the prosecutor remain unresolved.

Although the Statute of the Public Ministry allows for the promotion or appointment of magistrates facing such processes, it typically stipulates that such decisions should be suspended until the proceedings are concluded. The appointment faced opposition from several members of the CSMP, including the Prosecutor General of the Republic, Amadeu Guerra, and lawyer Fernando Seara, who raised concerns regarding institutional image and legal equality.