The last electoral judicial investigation action (Aije) that the Superior Electoral Court has to judge on the acts of the celebrations of the Bicentenary of Independence will focus on the hypothesis of abuse of power committed by military personnel, ministers and supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL ).
This is an Aije filed by the Brazil Coalition of Hope, which elected Lula in 2022. It is broader than two other actions, initiated by the PDT and Soraya Thronicke (Podemos), judged valid in October to condemn Bolsonaro and his candidate for vice, reserve general Braga Netto (PL).
The processes point to the occurrence of abuse of political and economic power by the Bolsonaro campaign, which combined civic-military parades with political rallies on the morning of September 7th in both Brasília and Rio de Janeiro, in the afternoon.
For this reason, they had joint evidentiary instructions to the point where the rapporteur, minister Benedito Gonçalves, understood that two of them could already be judged in advance. This split in processes generated protests for the defense of Bolsonaro, the lawyer Tarcísio Vieira de Carvalho.
The measure was what allowed the trial in October, days before the end of Benedito Gonçalves’ two-year term as a member of the TSE, which occurs this Thursday (9/11). Bolsonaro and Braga Netto were sentenced to eight years of ineligibility, counting from the date of the 2022 election.
In the third action, the same punishment may fall on another 15 people who would have contributed to the practice of abuse (see the complete list at the end of the text). They range from Bolsonaro’s vice-president in his first term, Hamilton Mourão, to businesspeople and government ministers.
Some of those involved are listed as defendants because they financed or participated in the inclusion of a tractor parade in the civic-military event on September 7th in Brasília, an element that would have been used to demonstrate agribusiness support for Bolsonaro’s election.
The issue of tractors was only raised in the Brasil da Esperança Coalition, but, due to the joint instruction with the other actions, it was widely cited to prove the abuse of power in the two actions that were previously judged by the TSE. This was also the subject of protest by the defense.
In a decision dated November 3, minister Benedito Gonçalves rejected the allegation of the others involved that they were an illegitimate party to be included in the action and ordered the hearing of a series of witnesses to produce evidence.
In advance, he also ruled that Aije against Bolsonaro and Braga Netto was valid, taking into account that this result had already been declared in the first two actions. The final stretch of the instruction will be led by his successor in office, Minister Raul Araújo, who will take on the role of rapporteur.
See those involved in the last attack on September 7th
- Hamilton Mourão – Then vice president and now elected Senator of the Republic, he would have contributed to the abuses on September 7th
- Fábio Faria – Former Communications Minister of the Bolsonaro government, in charge of organizing the official commemoration of the Bicentenary of Independence and authorized expenditure on the structure of the event.
- André de Souza Costa – Former Special Secretary for Communication, also participated in the organization and was the one who signed the invitations addressed to federal agencies requesting attendance at the event
- Silas Malafaia – Evangelical pastor, would have paid for the electric trio placed in Rio de Janeiro for Bolsonaro’s rally. Was present at the event
- Luciano Hang – Businessman, he is already ineligible. He was implicated because he participated in the civic-military parade in Brasília wearing clothing used to support Bolsonaro, in addition to giving a speech at the rally in favor of the candidate
- Júlio Augusto Gomes Nunes – Businessman, he is one of the leaders of the Green and Yellow Brazil Movement, which paid for billboards alluding to the 7th of September, organized the tractor parade and paid for the sound car placed on the Esplanada dos Ministérios. He signed letters addressed to the Ministry of Defense and the Government of the Federal District
- Antonio Galvan – Businessman and candidate for the Senate for the State of Mato Grosso, he is another leader of the Green and Yellow Brazil Movement
- Gilson Lari Trennepohl – Businessman and vice-mayor of Não-Me-Toque (RS), would have paid for the transportation of tractors to the parade in Brasília
- Vanderlei Secco – Businessman, allegedly lent two tractors for the parade in Brasília
- Renato Ribeiro dos Santos – Businessman and president of a ruralist union, allegedly provided and drove tractors used in the parade in Brasília
- Jacó Isidoro Rota – Also a businessman and president of a ruralist union, he allegedly provided and drove tractors used in the parade in Brasília
- Victor Cezar Priori – Businessman, allegedly lent three tractors for the parade in Brasília
- Luiz Walker – Businessman, would have given in and taken a tractor more than 500 km to participate in the parade in Brasília
- João Antônio Franciosi – Businessman, allegedly lent one of the tractors used in the parade in Brasília
- Marcos Koury Barreto – Military, would be one of those responsible for paying for the tractors used in the civic-military parade in Brasília
Aije 0601002-78.2022.6.00.0000
