Who are the brothers identified as those responsible for the murder of Marielle Franco – News

Appointed as those behind the murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco, in March 2018, the brothers Domingos and Chiquinho Brazão were arrested this Sunday morning (24), in a Federal Police operation, with the participation of the Attorney General’s Office and the Public Ministry from Rio de Janeiro. The crime also took the life of driver Anderson Gomes.

12 search warrants were also executed and, in addition to the brothers, the former head of the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, delegate Rivaldo Barbosa, was arrested. The warrants were issued by the minister of the STF (Supreme Federal Court), Alexandre de Moraes.

João Francisco Inácio Brazão, known as Chiquinho, is a federal deputy for União Brasil from Rio de Janeiro. Like Marielle, he was a councilor in the municipality when the murder occurred. The parliamentarian’s involvement led to the investigations being sent to the STF, as Chiquinho has a privileged forum. The case report was distributed by draw to Minister Alexandre de Moraes, from the First Panel, as it was a criminal action.

Domingos Brazão is an advisor to the Court of Auditors of the State of Rio de Janeiro. Author of the shots that killed Marielle and Anderson, former military police officer Ronnie Lessa told investigators, in a plea bargain, that Domingos had ordered the crime.

Lessa would have stated that the crime would be revenge against former state deputy Marcelo Freixo and his former advisor, Marielle Franco. The three, according to investigators, were fighting in the political area of ​​the state.

The clashes would have started in 2008, when Freixo chaired the CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) of the militias in the State Legislative Assembly and cited Brazão, then a state deputy, as one of those involved with paramilitary groups.

In the following years, the relationship would have worsened. Appointed advisor to the state Court of Auditors in 2015, with Freixo’s opposition, Brazão was arrested and temporarily removed from office two years later on suspicion of corruption. However, he was reappointed in 2021. Brazão’s political allies were also arrested.

The Federal Police had already announced that the investigations would be completed by the end of March. The STJ (Superior Court of Justice) was responsible for analyzing the case because it is the court responsible for judging governors, judges and members of the state audit courts.

Complaint in 2019

In September 2019, the then Attorney General of the Republic Raquel Dodge filed a complaint involving Marielle’s murder and opened a new investigation into the case. According to Dodge, an effort was made in investigations at the state level to “stay away from the real perpetrators of the crime.” One of those accused was Domingos Brazão.

The then PGR accused Brazão and others being investigated for allegedly diverting the investigation so as not to reveal a criminal organization and for inserting false statements in official testimony. For her, Domingos took advantage of the position and structure of the office at TCE-RJ, calling one of the employees — a retired PF agent — to distort the investigation.