Marielle Franco case: PF arrests suspects of ordering the councilwoman’s death; what is known so far

This Sunday (24/3), the Federal Police carried out three preventive arrest warrants related to the murder of the then PSOL councilor in Rio de Janeiro, Marielle Franco, and her driver Anderson Gomes, on March 14, 2018.

According to PF sources, the brothers Domingos and Chiquinho Brazão were arrested, as well as Rivaldo Barbosa.

Chiquinho Brazão is a federal deputy for União Brasil and became special secretary for Community Action at Rio de Janeiro city hall.

His brother Domingos Brazão is a counselor at the Rio de Janeiro State Court of Auditors. They were under investigation in the case, following the testimony of former military police officer Elcio de Queiroz, accused of having driven the car used in the murder of Marielle and Anderson.

In an interview with O Globo in January, the counselor stated that he was innocent and had no connection with the crime: “I didn’t know these people, thank God.” BBC News Brasil has not yet been able to contact the suspects’ defense.

The third preventively arrested, Rivaldo Barbosa, is a former director of the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro.

According to a PF source interviewed by BBC News Brasil, Marielle’s death was ordered due to the councilwoman’s resistance to a bill that regularizes condominiums in the west zone of Rio de Janeiro. The west zone has neighborhoods controlled by militiamen who operate real estate projects in the region.

On March 19 of this year, the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Ricardo Lewandowski, had announced that the plea bargain of Ronnie Lessa, arrested accused of being the perpetrator of the crime, had been approved by the Federal Supreme Court, as it involved people with jurisdiction privileged.

The minister had said that the conclusion of the Marielle case would occur “soon”.

In a post on years: who ordered Mari to be killed and why?”

This Sunday’s PF operation, called Murder Inc, also involves 12 search and seizure warrants in Rio de Janeiro, issued by the STF, and “targets the intellectual authors of homicide crimes, according to the investigation. The crimes of criminal organization and obstruction of justice are also investigated.”