Journalist says he has suffered an attempt of murder

The journalist Wellington Raulino, owner of the Integração TV, says he has suffered an attempt of murder in the afternoon of October 3rd , in the city of Uruçuí, State of Piauí. According to Raulino, he has been chased and assaulted by men armed with sticks and a gun. The journalist had his left wounded and is still under medical treatment. He believes that Uruçuí´s mayor is behind the crime.

The Integração TV is settled on the city of Benedito Leite, Maranhão State, which is separated from Uruçuí, where Raulino lives, only by the Parnaíba river. A ferry is needed to cross from one city to the other. According to the journalist, he was parking his car at the Uruçuí side of the river and getting ready to cross it, when he realized a man was coming to his direction, pulling out a gun. Raulino has immediately jumped into the river and hidden himself underneath the ferry.

“Without air, I had to emerge. I´ve tried to run away, but without mobility with my pants wet, I fell down”, tells the journalist “by this moment, the bandits came and started to spank me with sticks and a gun stock”, he says. According to Raulino, one of the men has threatened to shoot him, but people who have seen the scene have stopped aggressors,  who fled away.

“There were several witnesses who have recognized the aggressors. One of them was identified as Gilliard, brother of the Uruçuí´s mayor, Valdir Soares da Costa”, says Raulino. The journalist tells he has made denounces of public money deviation against Soares da Costa, including on Justice, and believes he is behind the crime.

Wellington Raulino has registered the case in Teresina, Piauí´s Capital, where he has done a corporal examination. “I had already audiences with the Secretary of Security, with the general sheriff and even with Piauí´s governor, Wellington Dias”, says the journalist. Nobody has been arrested so far.

The Integração TV is off-air since June 10th , when a fire has burned all of its equipment. “The suspects were the same”, says Raulino, “the car rented by the city hall was used to transport the bandits. The ferry´s internal circuit of TV has filmed everything”, he affirms.