Tarcísio, Pazuello and more: STF hears Bolsonaro’s witnesses from this 6th

The Federal Supreme Court (STF) listens on Friday, 30, and next Monday, June 2, the defense witnesses of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), defendant for leading attempted coup d’état in 2022. There is a forecast that 11 people listed by the former president’s defense will be heard at virtual hearings. However, at any time, the defendant may request the withdrawal of any of them to the rapporteur of the case, Minister Alexandre de Moraes.

Witnesses include five top members of the Bolsonaro government: former Minister of Infrastructure and current governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), former head of the Civil House and current Senator Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI), former Minister of Health and Federal Deputy Eduardo Pazuello (PL-RJ), former Chief of Tourism Gilson Machado and Senator Senator and Senator Senator Rogério Marinho, and former Executive Secretary of Civil House Jonathas Nery.

PL leader Valdemar Costa Neto should also testify this Friday, but as a witness to former Justice Minister Anderson Torres.

None of the witnesses were cited in the complaint of the Attorney General’s Office (PGR), accepted in unanimous vote of the first class, which opened a criminal action against the “crucial core” of the coup plan on March 26.

Already in the Federal Police report (PF) of more than 800 pages that was sent to PGR in November, Valdemar was quoted 38 times, but he and seven other defendants were not reported. In the assessment of the attorney general, Paulo Gonet, it was not proved that Valdemar knew that the report prepared by the Vot Legal Institute, which pointed to malfunction of certain models of the electronic ballot boxes in the second round of the 2022 election, was manipulated. The document served as the basis for the PL to request the annulment of the votes registered at the cited ballot boxes.

The same happened with lawyer Amauri Feres Saad, who is now a Bolsonaro defense witness and was not even cited by the PGR in the complaint. According to the Federal Police investigation, he helped Bolsonaro’s former special advisor, Filipe Martins, to elaborate the draft the former president presented to the armed forces commanders. The existence of the document was confirmed in prosecution testimonials last week.

This Friday will also be heard the Senators Esperidião Amin (PP-SC), Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE), and Federal Deputy Ubiratan Sanderson (PL-RS), who were listed by the defense of former Justice Minister Anderson Torres. The hearings are not being transmitted by order of the Supreme Court, but journalists and defendants’ defenses accompany the sessions in person in the Supreme Court.

The testimonials about the central core of the coup plot began last Monday, 19. The first week, which opened the ten days of hearings, was marked by the confirmation of the existence of the so-called “draft of the coup”, by former Army commander and reserve general Marco Antonio Freire Gomes.

Former Air Force commander Carlos Baptista Junior confirmed the version that former Navy Commander Admiral Almir Garnier Santos would have made his troops available to Bolsonaro.