Bolsonaro's former minister is arrested in a Federal Police operation

The Federal Police arrested retired General Walter Braga Netto on Saturday. He was the vice-presidential candidate alongside Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in 2022. Braga Netto has been indicted in a probe investigating a coup plot. The Federal Police conducted searches at his residence, citing the need to ensure "public order" and "proper procedural conduct," both necessary for the decree of preventative detention.

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He was arrested in Copacabana, in Rio's South Zone, and will subsequently be taken to the 1st Army Division in Vila Militar, Rio, where he will remain under military custody.

In a statement, the Federal Police mentioned that judicial warrants were "issued by the Supreme Federal Court against those investigated in the probe into the attempted coup d'état to prevent the inauguration of the legitimately elected government in 2022." The statement further noted that "a preventative arrest warrant, two search and seizure warrants, and a measure other than arrest against individuals obstructing evidence production during the criminal procedural instruction" are being executed.

To date, two cell phones have been seized from Braga Netto's residence. The military officer denies the accusations, asserting that "there was never any talk of a coup, much less a plan to assassinate anyone," and that he "has always upheld ethical and moral correctness in seeking legal and constitutional solutions."

According to the Federal Police's investigation into the coup attempt, former Minister Walter Braga Netto tried to obtain "information about the collaboration agreement" of Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid, a former aide-de-camp to former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL). The Federal Police claim this attempt was made through Mauro Cid's parents.

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"Other pieces of evidence show that Braga Netto sought, through Mauro Cid's parents, information on the collaboration agreement," states the final investigation report, which indicted Bolsonaro, Braga Netto, and 35 others.

Braga Netto's defense team has yet to comment.

In a message exchange, General Mario Fernandes, who was also indicted, claims that Mauro Cid's parents called Braga Netto and former Minister Augusto Heleno, saying regarding the plea deal that "it's all lies."

"Regarding the supposed plea deal of CID, his mother and father called GBN and GH to say it’s all lies!!!" wrote Fernandes to retired Colonel Jorge Luiz Kormann.

The message was sent on September 12, three days after Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes approved Cid's plea deal.

Additionally, the Federal Police indicate a search and seizure operation at the PL headquarters found a document resembling a "questions and answers" regarding Cid's plea deal. The document was on the desk of Colonel Flávio Peregrino, an advisor to Braga Netto, who at the time held a position in the party.

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"The content suggests it comprises responses by Mauro Cid to inquiries made by someone possibly connected to General Braga Netto, who appeared concerned about issues identified by the Federal Police related to the coup plot, indicating that the criminal group took concrete steps to access the content of the collaboration agreement signed by Mauro Cesar Cid with the Federal Police," the report states.

One of the questions, for instance, asked about "What was disclosed" concerning the "content of the meetings." The answer, in the first person, states "nothing" because "I didn't attend the meetings."

"The context of the document is serious and indicates that questions were possibly directed at Mauro Cid about the content of the collaboration agreement he made with the police, which were responded to by him, in red," the Federal Police noted.

Cid stated in depositions to Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and the Federal Police that the former Defense Minister and former vice-presidential candidate on Bolsonaro's ticket distributed cash to Special Forces military personnel, known as "black kids," in wine packaging.

The funds were reportedly intended, according to Bolsonaro's former aide-de-camp, to finance purported coup plans following the ex-president's defeat to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The information was disclosed by the ICL portal and confirmed by GLOBO.

Dialogues obtained by the Federal Police during the investigation into the coup plot reveal that Major Rafael Martins de Oliveira of the Army Special Forces—who was arrested in February following an operation—discussed with Mauro Cid the payment of R$100,000 to fund the transport of protesters to Brasília.

The translation of this text into english was carried out by Project Irineu, O GLOBO's initiative to develop artificial intelligence tools. Here is the link to the original report.