Portuguese authorities have charged Dinisia Reis Embalo, the wife of Guinea-Bissau’s ousted president Umaro Sissoco Embalo, in connection with an investigation into suspected smuggling and money laundering.
According to Portugal’s judicial police, Dinisia Reis Embalo arrived in Lisbon on the same flight from Guinea-Bissau as another passenger who was arrested on Sunday after being found with nearly five million euros (about $5.9 million) in cash. The arrest followed an anonymous tip-off.
Police said the charges against Embalo’s wife are linked to the ongoing investigation, although no further details were disclosed. The flight had initially been classified as a military flight and was scheduled to continue to the southern city of Beja, but authorities later determined that both the nature and destination of the flight differed from what had been declared.
Portuguese media reports identified the passenger found with the cash as businessman Tito Gomes Fernandes, described as a close associate of the former president, who fled Guinea-Bissau after being ousted in a military coup on November 26.
Meanwhile, Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said he is engaging with authorities in Guinea-Bissau in efforts to support a return to constitutional order.