STF makes three police officers defendants for obstruction of justice in the Marielle case
Unanimously, the STF (Supreme Federal Court) decided to accept the complaint from the PGR (Attorney General's Office) against Rivaldo Barbosa de Araújo Júnior, Giniton Lages and Marco Antonio de Barros Pinto, three police officers involved in the investigation into the murder of councilor Marielle Franco.
With this, they become defendants for the crimes of criminal association and obstruction of justice and begin to officially respond to criminal proceedings in Court. The next step is called "criminal investigation", which is the moment of producing and collecting evidence against or in favor of the accused.
First, the defendants will be summoned to present a prior defense. Afterwards, defense and prosecution witnesses will be heard, in addition to the interrogation of the accused. Then, the defendants will have a new chance to defend themselves. Only after this phase will the trial be scheduled.
The complaint was filed in February by the Deputy Attorney General of the Republic, Hindenburgo Chateaubriand.
According to him, those accused were part of a criminal organization formed by civil police officers and other agents that worked to guarantee impunity for homicides linked to militias and criminals in Rio de Janeiro.
According to the accusation, the group maintained direct or indirect control over investigations of crimes committed by criminal organizations in the state, especially in disputes over territorial dominance and the exploration of illicit activities, such as illegal gambling.
The complaint also states that the organization acted in a standardized way to hinder investigations, with the disappearance and concealment of evidence, directing investigations and using false testimonies.
In the specific case of Marielle, the PGR maintains that Rivaldo Barbosa, then director of the Homicide Division of the Rio Civil Police, previously adhered to the councilor's execution plan and made a commitment to guarantee impunity for the perpetrators of the crime.
The decision to open this new action comes less than three months after the First Panel of the STF sentenced the brothers Domingos Brazão and Chiquinho Brazão to 76 years and 3 months in prison for being the masterminds behind the murder of Marielle and Anderson.
Unanimously, the ministers concluded that the brothers acted together to order the crime for interests linked to land regularization in areas dominated by militias in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro.
Source: CNN