A 44-year-old man, held in preventive detention, answered in silence at the Leiria Court to an indictment involving 36 qualified scams, one of which in attempted form. The scheme used was the well-known "Hello dad, hello mom" method, in which the perpetrators contact victims by phone, pretending to be a relative in an emergency situation to ask for money.
The defendant faced the reading of the charges in court, choosing not to make statements during this phase of the proceedings. The defense requested conditional release of the man, who has been in preventive detention since his arrest.
The scams allegedly involved several victims, although the article does not specify the total amounts allegedly obtained or the date on which the man was arrested. The Public Prosecutor's Office is responsible for prosecuting the qualified fraud crimes.
The case continues to proceed at the Judicial Court of Leiria, where evidence will be presented and witnesses may be heard. The defendant's silence is a common legal strategy in these types of cases.
