Lewandowski announces that Ronnie Lessa’s plea bargain in the Marielle case has been approved | Policy

Lewandowski announces that Ronnie Lessa’s plea bargain has been approved

The Minister of Justice, Ricardo Lewandowski, announced this Tuesday (19) that Ronnie Lessa’s plea bargain in the Marielle Franco case was approved by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF).

When making a statement, the person being investigated commits to Justice and the Public Prosecutor’s Office to tell what they know about a crime in exchange for a reduced sentence. When approving, the Court recognizes that the plea agreement is legal and that the testimony meets the criteria.

Lessa is arrested on charges of being one of the perpetrators of Marielle’s murder.

The police are investigating who ordered Marielle’s death. According to Lewandowski, after the approval of the plea, the conclusion of the case will be “soon”.

“We know that this award-winning collaboration, which is a means of obtaining evidence, brings extremely important elements that lead us to believe that we will soon have a solution to the murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco”, stated the Minister of Justice.

According to journalist César Tralli, from TV Globo and Globo News, Lessa revealed in the plea bargain the name of the person who hired him for the crime.

Marielle’s sister, Minister Anielle Franco (Racial Equality), commented on Lewandowski’s announcement. She stated that she expects a solution to the case soon.

“My mother is with me in Brasilia. We were both watching. Another step taken, and we trust in this work that is being developed”, reported the minister.

“Hope for another step taken and something concrete soon”, he added.

Marielle’s widow, Mônica Benício, stated that the wait increases anxiety among family members and that authorities need to present concrete results.

“The STF approved the plea bargain of Ronnie Lessa, a former military police officer accused of being the executor. Without a doubt, this is another important step towards concluding the case, for which we have been fighting and waiting for 6 years”, he stated.

“We want concrete answers. I hope that the next press conference called will be to make a concrete statement that is truly committed to Justice”, concluded Mônica.

Investigation into Marielle’s death goes to the STF

Last week, investigations into the Marielle Franco and Anderson Gomes case were transferred to the STF.

This is because, throughout the investigations, a person with privileged jurisdiction in the STF was cited. Having privileged jurisdiction in the STF means that the person must be investigated directly by the STF. The following authorities are in this condition: president of the Republic, vice-president of the Republic, ministers of State, ministers of higher courts, ministers of the Federal Court of Auditors (TCU) and ambassadors.

Ronnie Lessa was a military police officer in Rio de Janeiro. He was expelled from the corporation due to investigations into the Marielle case.

He was arrested in March 2019. In the statement of another person accused of carrying out the crime, Élcio de Queiroz, Lessa is named as the author of the shooting.

In 2021, Lessa was sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison for hiding the weapons that would have been used in the crime — the sentence was later increased to 5 years. The Public Ministry claims that he threw the weapons into the sea at Barra da Tijuca.

Before working in the PM, Lessa worked in the Army. In 1992, as a military police officer, he worked as an attaché at the Rio Civil Police.

From that time on, according to investigators, Lessa boosted his criminal career. Like many agents in the same situation, he knew the streets more than the civilian police officers. He stood out for his agility and courage in resolving cases.

Behind the scenes of the police, the comment is that this fame caught the attention of the criminal Rogério Andrade, who was in a dispute with the criminal Fernando Iggnácio de Miranda, and would have made contact with Lessa.