Marielle: Moraes orders the PF to deliver reports on “intellectual authors” of the crime

Minister Alexandre de Moraes ordered the Federal Police (PF) to send to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) all reports and expert reports on objects seized in Operation Murder Inc, which investigates the “intellectual authorship” of the murders of councilor Marielle Franco and the driver Anderson Gomes.

The decision responds to a request made by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) during the hearings in the case opened against the alleged masterminds of the executions. Marielle and Anderson were shot to death in 2018.

Last week, the Rio Jury Court sentenced former military police officers Ronnie Lessa and Élcio Queiroz – who confessed to the crimes – to sentences of 78 years and 59 years in prison, respectively.

Moraes’ order was published this Monday (4), in the context of the action in which deputy Chiquinho Brazão, his brother Domingos, counselor at the Court of Auditors of the State of Rio de Janeiro, and the former chief of the Police are defendants. Civilian from Rio de Janeiro, delegate Rivaldo Barbosa.

On the 29th, the interrogation phase of the defendants and witnesses in the case ended. The three deny any involvement in the deaths of Marielle and Anderson.

Moraes gave the parties five days to express their views on the need to take steps. The PGR requested documents about the seizures carried out in March, in the operation that led Rivaldo and the Brazão brothers to prison. The request was granted last Wednesday (30).

Also read:

• “Justice arrives”: read the sentence that condemned the murderers of Marielle and Anderson

The investigation

The process regarding the alleged intellectual authors of the deaths of Marielle and Anderson enters a new phase amid the conviction of the executors of the councilor and the driver.

It was Ronnie Lessa’s denunciation that put the PF on the trail of the Brazão and Rivaldo brothers. At the time, the corporation reported having found ‘eloquent evidence of immediate authorship’ of the murder order for councilor Marielle Franco. The brothers are identified by the investigation as those who ordered the crime. The deputy is suspected of having protected the two.

According to the PF, the possible motivation for the crime would be the obstacle that the councilwoman represented for the “shady” interests of the Brazão family, allegedly linked to the militia and the exploitation of illegal lands in Rio.

The corporation claims that the “intellectual authors” of Marielle’s murder contracted two services for the crime: the execution itself and the “prior guarantee of impunity”, a mission entrusted to a gang allegedly commanded by police chief Rivaldo Barbosa.

(With Estadão Content)