The Federal Police (PF) arrested, this Sunday morning (24), three suspects of being the masterminds behind the murder of Marille Franco, then a Rio de Janeiro councilor, and her driver Anderson Gomes, in March 2018. The following were arrested: Domingos Brazão , current advisor to the State Court of Auditors, Chiquinho Brazão, federal deputy from Rio de Janeiro, and Rivaldo Barbosa, former head of the Civil Police of Rio.
The operation was carried out jointly between the PF, the Attorney General’s Office and the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro, based on the statement from Ronnie Lessa, who carried out the crime, who named them as the principals, in a statement approved last week. According to information from the PF, the action was carried out this Sunday because there were suspicions that the three were already waiting for an operation.
In addition to the arrests, the agents also carried out seizures at the Rio Civil Police headquarters and at the State Court of Auditors.
On social media, the Minister of Racial Equality, Anielle Franco, Marielle’s sister, expressed relief at the news of the arrests. “Only God knows how much we dream of this day! Today is another big step towards getting the answers we have asked ourselves so much in recent years: who ordered Mari to be killed and why? I thank the commitment of the PF, the federal government, the Ministry Federal and State Public and Minister Alexandre de Moraes. We are closer to Justice”, he wrote.
Six years
On the 14th, six years passed since the murder of Marielle and Anderson, shot dead in an ambush in the center of Rio when they were returning from a mandate. The case had international repercussions, but to this day it has not been fully resolved. Even with the arrests, the motivations for the crime still need to be clarified.
In July 2023, former military police officer Élcio Queiroz, accused of the crime, gave details of the execution. At the turn of the year, Ronie Lessa, also a former PM, identified as the author of the shooting, denounced the counselor of the Court of Auditors of the State of Rio de Janeiro (TCE-RJ), Domingos Brazão, as the mastermind.
Editing: Rodrigo Gomes
