Braga Netto prison should not accelerate charges against Bolsonaro

The arrest of General Walter Braga Netto does not change the schedule foreseen by the Attorney General of the Republic, Paulo Gonet, to analyze the final report of the Federal Police (PF) in the coup investigation and, eventually, file the complaint against the 40 defendants, including former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

People who follow the process assure that the PGR’s conclusions will be presented at the beginning of 2025, as expected, and that the general’s arrest, despite the “weight”, does not speed up the attorney general’s analysis of the case. Gonet imposes extra caution on the case. Furthermore, the Judiciary goes into recess after next week.

Process totals thousands of pages

Braga Netto’s arrest is considered by investigators to be the most important to date. The general was part of the first echelon of the Bolsonaro government. He was Minister of the Civil House and Defense and, in 2022, he was vice-president on the former president’s ticket.

Braga Netto was preventively arrested for trying to obstruct the investigation into the coup plan. According to the PF, he tried to obtain confidential information about Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid’s accusation to pass on to other people being investigated and also aligned versions with allies.

The attorney general and his team thoroughly analyze the material gathered by the PF. Gonet assesses the strength of the evidence and the participation of each person investigated in the coup plan. In addition to the final report itself, the process has hundreds of other documents, such as statements and expert reports, which total thousands of pages.

With the submission of the complaint, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) will be able to judge the case in the first half of 2025.