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Former Centro Niemeyer Director Natalio Grueso Arrested in Southern Portugal After Two Years on the Run

He is in Portuguese custody before the Évora court pending surrender to Spain.

Overview

  • He was detained in the Algarve town of Olhão and, according to his lawyer, has been placed at the disposal of the Tribunal de Évora.
  • The arrest follows an eight-year prison sentence that became final in April 2023 for continued embezzlement with falsification and continued corporate crimes tied to his 2009–2011 tenure at the center.
  • After a July 31, 2023 order for immediate imprisonment, police could not find him at listed addresses and he remained wanted from August 2023.
  • A European arrest warrant and an international requisition issued in February were activated to locate him abroad and led to his capture.
  • His bid to delay imprisonment and a pardon request backed by prominent cultural figures were rejected before the search-and-capture order was issued.