José Castelo Branco is being heard this Wednesday, May 8, in the Court of Sintra, after the interrogation by the criminal investigating judge, who will apply any possible coercive measures, was postponed due to the strike by the Court officials. Initially, 10 am was the time indicated, but it was not confirmed. The art dealer remained in the facilities of the GNR of Alcabideche, where he spent the night, until about 10:40 am, when he started the journey to the court, which he arrived at approximately 10:50 am.

According to a source from the court, who spoke to Agência Lusa on Tuesday, there was no guarantee that the socialite would be heard today, again because of the strike by the Court officials. "Tomorrow morning, the same thing could happen again because there are strike notices in effect. Only on Thursday morning will there be certainty that the interrogation will take place", said the same source. However, this did not happen and the art dealer was indeed present before the judge this Wednesday. 

Pedro Nogueira Simões, the socialite's lawyer, emphasized on Tuesday that José "has a clear conscience, with no problem making statements [and] will not resort to silence because the conviction has no basis whatsoever", also highlighting that "he is cheerful, as always". 

Pedro Nogueira Simões, Castelo Branco's lawyer© Álvaro Isidoro / Global Imagens  

Leia Também: Detido, Castelo Branco veio à janela. Advogado diz que "ele está animado" (Portuguese version)

The socialite's agent, Luciana Lima, also revealed that José Castelo Branco is "calm". "He told me that he has nothing to fear and that he is completely willing to cooperate with the authorities", she said.

It should be recalled that José Castelo Branco was arrested on Tuesday morning, May 7, when he was preparing to go to the studios of TVI's morning show, 'Dois às 10', where he would give an interview to Cláudio Ramos and Cristina Ferreira.

The socialite is accused of the crime of domestic violence against his wife, Betty Grafstein, 95 years old, who has been hospitalized at the CUF Cascais Hospital since April 20, where she is currently recovering from a pulmonary embolism. The complaint was allegedly made by the jewelry designer herself to several health professionals at that hospital unit, who then filed the complaint with the competent authorities, since it is a public crime.

This is not the first time that José Castelo Branco has been accused of violence. In 2005, a contractor who was doing work on the socialite's house in Sintra accused him of being aggressive. In 2014, the art dealer was even sentenced by the Court of Sintra to community service. 

More recently, images circulated on the internet of an altercation that José Castelo Branco was involved in at a restaurant in Bairro Alto, in Lisbon, as well as a disagreement with Pedro Pico - who occupies a house owned by Betty Grafstein, in Sintra - which involved physical aggression between the two.