Deputies resume analysis of Chiquinho Brazão’s arrest,

The Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Committee (CCJ) of the Chamber of Deputies resumes this Wednesday (10), the analysis of the arrest of Chiquinho Brazão (no party-RJ), suspected of being one of the masterminds behind the murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco (PSOL-RJ) and driver Anderson Gomes, in March 2018.

Chiquinho Brazão has been in preventive detention since March 24th. The maintenance of the prison, however, must be analyzed by the CCJ and the plenary of the Chamber of Deputies, in accordance with the rules of the House and the Federal Constitution.

In the commission, parliamentarians must analyze the opinion of the rapporteur, Darci de Matos (PSD-RS), who was chosen for the role by the president of the CCJ, the Bolsonarist deputy Caroline de Toni (PL-SC). To receive the green light, the text in favor of maintaining the prison needs a simple majority. If approved, the matter must be the first to be analyzed by the plenary when the next deliberative session opens.

In the plenary, an absolute majority, that is, 257 votes, is required to maintain Brazão’s arrest. The case will be submitted to an open and nominal vote, which means that, at the end, a scoreboard will be displayed with the names of the deputies and their respective votes.

The result that will be proclaimed by the President of the House, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), must be communicated to the Federal Supreme Court (STF), which had already authorized preventive detention. In the Court, authorization came from Minister Alexandre de Moraes. Subsequently, the decision was unanimously upheld by the First Panel of the Court.

In his opinion, federal deputy Darci de Matos agreed with the STF’s thesis that Chiquinho Brazão’s preventive detention was ordered due to acts of obstruction of justice. “In our opinion, the state of flagrancy of the crime mentioned remains clearly established, either due to its permanent nature or due to the fact that the acts of obstruction continued to be carried out over time”, wrote Matos in his report.

After reading the rapporteur’s opinion, on March 26, a collective request for a view postponed the vote until this week.

Editing: Vivian Virissimo