After two months, Alerj’s Ethics Council chooses rapporteur for Lucinha’s impeachment process | Rio de Janeiro

The rapporteur of the process that could culminate in the revocation of the mandate of deputy Lucinha (PSD) will be Felipinho Ravis (Solidariedade). The choice was made this Wednesday morning (3) during a secret meeting with the seven members of the Ethics Council of the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro (Alerj), which initiated the ethical-disciplinary process against the parliamentarian.

The seven deputies of the Ethics Council are: president Júlio Rocha (Agir), vice-president Martha Rocha (PDT), Jorge Felippe Neto (Avante), Felipinho Ravis (Solidariedade), Dani Monteiro (PSOL), Renato Miranda (PL ), Cláudio Caiado (PSD). Substitutes Dionísio Lins (PP) and Andrezinho Ceciliano (PT) were also called up.

In December, Lucinha was the target of Operation Baptism, by the Federal Police and the Public Ministry of Rio (MPRJ), which is investigating her participation and political articulation to benefit the militia led by Luiz Antônio da Silva Braga, known as Zinho.

According to the investigation, she would be the political arm of the organization and would have the nickname “godmother”.

Lucinha denies participation in the militia. Upon her return to Alerj, at the end of February, she used the Alerj plenary court to say that she did not interfere in RJ’s public security policy.

“I have never had any involvement with any criminal organization. I have never been a member of the militia, as is said. I have also never used my mandate to interfere in public security policy. Everyone knows that I am an opposition deputy and as such, I had no access to state security summit”, highlighted the parliamentarian, stating that “in the book of my life there is no room for organized crime”.

Lucinha was caught on audio asking about how a measure by Rio City Hall could impact the business of the criminal group that controls part of the city’s West Zone.

In messages recorded in 2021, Lucinha tries to find out what was best for the militia in one of the criminal group’s most profitable spots: alternative transport. The deputy tries find out if the militia is in favor or against allowing vans from the North Zone to run in the West Zone.

Lucinha: “So you put one of these there so you can explain this properly because I couldn’t understand if this is good for you or not.”

Sun: “If the mayor ends the P5, that’s it. Legalized cars will have to return to their original lines. There are a lot of cars from the North Zone running here.”

Lucinha: “That at the right time I was a little in doubt, understand, Dom? (…) If this is good or if this is bad. (…) Is it bad for a van from the north zone to run in the west zone area? Me I understood what the guy said then. I wanted you to explain it to me.”

P.5 in the dialogue means ap5, that is, Planning Area 5, which is how the city hall administratively classifies the part of the West Zone of Rio, according to the division made in 2012 by the Pereira Passos Institute.

Investigations by the Federal Police, in conjunction with the Public Ministry, indicate that the militia considered it a good idea for the city hall to maintain permission for vans from the North Zone to circulate in the West Zone. That way, the gang profited most from extortion.

In conversations with Lucinha, militiaman Dom states that the criminal group wants the permission to remain valid.

“This gap for us is great. He has to keep it,” said Dom.

The dialogue between the parliamentarian and the militia member takes place one day before a visit by Mayor Eduardo Paes (PSD) to the West Zone, in September 2021, during the electoral campaign. At the time, Paes was a candidate.

According to PF investigations, the conversation between Dom and Lucinha makes it clear that they acted together.

At a certain point in the intercepted dialogue, when she asks if everything was arranged for Eduardo Paes’ visit to the region dominated by the militia, Dom replies that he would provide breakfast for the guests.

“I ordered the breakfast and the tarpaulin chairs to be put in. I think they’ll decide who will speak for the two drivers and there’s also no way to tell you exactly which lines are going. You’re going to take a little bit of each to talk about because otherwise you’ll end up bad on the lines”, explains Dom.

According to investigators, Lucinha even guides the militia member on how van drivers should act at the campaign meeting location. She says about how they should clap at the event.

“Also advise that when I speak defending alternative transport, they should clap. So that they know that we are together. (…) Always remember that without alternative transport, people will be out of work”, advised the deputy.

In a dialogue with Lucinha’s advisor, Ariane de Afonso Lima, Dom also asked the date on which the mayor would go to the West Zone.

According to the complaint, Ariane responded immediately, and this information allowed the militia member to “program himself” and “remove his armed troops from the streets”, thus preventing the action of public authorities in identifying and arresting the group’s members.