Rapper Ghoya was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Squadron of the Setúbal Police Division, last Thursday, when he was presenting the documentary ‘Complô’, made about his own lifeat Cinema City in Centro Comercial Alegro, in Setúbal.
According to the newspaper “O Setubalense”, which cites a statement from the Setúbal District Command, regarding Bruno Furtado – the artist’s real name – an “arrest warrant was pending to serve a 160-day subsidiary prison sentence”. “Given the behavior adopted by the suspect, it became necessary to take advantage of a moment of public appearance, in the city of Setúbal, to proceed with his interception.”
The arrest, which “O Setubalense” claims resulted from driving a vehicle without a license, led to the interruption of the cinema session. According to a joint statement issued by the film’s director, João Miller Guerra, the producer Uma Pedra no Sapato and the distributor Magenta, the room was invaded by “police apparatus”, in an action that they consider “disproportionate taking into account the reason in question”.
According to the PSP, it was due the payment of 1440 euros, amount that, as Furtado was not in possession at the scene, led to his being taken to the Setúbal Prison to serve his sentence.
The director, producer and distributor said in a statement that this Friday, after the intervention of the rapper’s lawyer, the payment of the fine was made and Bruno Furtado was released after 12 hours of detention.
“Complô” tells the story of Ghoya, “orphan of the country where he was born, orphan of the State. Incarcerated for half his life, always free.” Born in Portugal, son of a São Tomé mother and a Cape Verdean father, the artist was not entitled to Portuguese citizenship. The lack of documents led him to institutionalization, prison and an existence marked by violence and abandonment, can be read in the synopsis of the most recent edition of “O Tal Podcast”, by Expresso, which has the rapper and activist as a guest.