Witness in Stang land case released from Brazil hospital after being shot

Witness in Stang land case released from hospital

SAO PAULO — Authorities say a hospital has released a witness who was shot after being summoned to testify in a case related to the 2005 death of American Amazon defender Dorothy Stang.

A spokesman for the Para state public safety department says Roniery Lopes will be able to testify in a case involving accusations his former employer tried to use falsified documents to obtain the plot of land Stang died trying to defend.

Lopes’ employer Regivaldo Galvao and rancher Vitalmiro Moura are accused of hiring gunmen to kill the nun from Dayton, Ohio. Galvao was arrested but freed on bail in 2006.

Police spokesman Emanuel Vilaca said Monday that Lopes believes he was attacked because of a business deal that went wrong.