STF Minister Alexandre de Moraes responded to a request from the Federal Police (PF) and authorized an operation of search and seizure at the addresses of eight businessmen that support the current Brazilian President. The warrants started to be carried out on Tuesday (23/08) across five states: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina e Ceará. In addition to the searches, Alexandre de Moraes also determined the blocking of businessmen’s bank accounts; blocking of entrepreneurs’ accounts on social networks; taking of depositions; breach of bank secrecy.
The Case
On Wednesday (17/08), messages revealed by the website “Metrópoles” showed that businessmen who support President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), candidate for reelection, have begun to defend a coup d’état if former President Lula (PT), also a candidate for the Presidency, wins the October elections.
The Targets
The targets of Tuesday’s operation were: Afrânio Barreira Filho (Coco Bambu); Ivan Wrobel (W3 Engenharia); José Isaac Peres (Multiplan); José Koury (Barra World); Luciano Hang (Havan); Luiz André Tissot (Sierra); Marco Aurélio Raymundo (Mormaii); Meyer Joseph Nigri (Tecnisa).
Anti-democratic Acts
According to investigators, from the messages exchanged by businessmen, in a group entitled “Businessmen and Politics”, there are indications that they could have financed anti-democratic movements, hence the decision to break bank secrecy and block bank accounts.
In the inquiry that is being processed by the Federal Supreme Court to investigate the anti-democratic acts, whose rapporteur is Minister Alexandre de Moraes, one of the main lines of investigation is to try to identify businessmen who would be financing demonstrations that demanded a coup d’état in the country, the closing of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and the National Congress, in addition to a military intervention with Bolsonaro in power.
Reactions
The search and seizure operation in the addresses of eight businessmen who shared messages about a coup d’état, carried out by the Federal Police on Tuesday (23/08), provoked reactions from deputies and senators. For congressmen opposed to the current government, the measure is a sign that democracy “resists” threats. Government supporters, on the other hand, criticized the search and seizure warrants.
Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco said that preaching “democratic regression” is a “disservice” to Brazil. For his turn, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro said that “it is insane to determine search and apprehension on honest businessmen, who generate thousands of jobs, some known to STF ministers, and who, knowingly, would never plot any coup (…).”
