Lisbon, Dec. 16, 2025 (Lusa) - The wife of the former president of Guinea-Bissau has been charged with suspected smuggling and money laundering in a case in which a man close to Sissoco Embaló was arrested in Lisbon, a source linked to the investigation confirmed to Lusa on Tuesday.

On Sunday, the Judicial Police (PJ) arrested Sissoco Embaló's chief of protocol at Figo Maduro Military Airport in Lisbon on suspicion of smuggling and money laundering after he was found carrying around €5 million in cash in his luggage.

Tito Fernandes was later released without being brought before a court. Dinisia Reis Embaló was also on the plane from Guinea-Bissau and, although she was not arrested, she was charged with smuggling and money laundering.

According to the same source, the money was seized, and the authorities will now investigate its origin.

According to a statement issued by Portugal's criminal investigation police agency, PJ, on Sunday, ‘the flight was initially classified as military and, after Lisbon, would continue to [Beja airport]’ in southern Portugal, but it was later found that its nature and final destination ‘were different’ from those indicated to the aviation authorities.

A source linked to the investigation told Lusa today that the final destination was Dubai.

The police and Tax Authority action followed an anonymous tip-off.

The newspaper ‘Público’ reported on Tuesday that Sissoco Embaló's wife is a defendant.

A self-styled ‘high military command’ seized power in Guinea-Bissau on 26 November, three days after the African country's general (presidential and legislative) elections and one day before the announced date for the release of the results.

The opposition and international figures have claimed that the coup was a ploy orchestrated by Sissoco Embaló because he was allegedly defeated at the polls, thus preventing the results from being announced and arbitrarily arresting several figures who supported the candidate claiming victory, Fernando Dias.

Among those detained is Domingos Simões Pereira, president of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cabo Verde (PAIGC). At the same time, Fernando Dias has taken refuge in the Nigerian embassy in Bissau.

After being dismissed, Sissoco Embaló left Bissau on 28 November for Dakar, Senegal, and a few days later left that country for Brazzaville, Congo.

On 4 December, information circulated on social media that he had travelled to Morocco the day before.

IB/ADB // ADB.

Lusa