Former GSI minister speaks to the PF after images of 8/1; government evaluates changes in portfolio

The former minister of the Institutional Security Office (GSI), Marco Edson Gonçalves Dias, testified to the Federal Police this Friday (21), in Brasília, about the images of the invasion of the Planalto Palace on January 8 in which he appears circulating among the protesters.

The deposition lasted just over four hours and the former minister did not make statements to the press. The testimony of Gonçalves Dias was requested this Thursday (20) by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), after the leak of the images, which were under secrecy in the investigations that determine the responsibilities for the acts of January 8, which culminated in the invasion and depredation of the headquarters of the Three Powers.

In a private statement to TV Globo after the statement, Gonçalves Dias said that “appearing at the headquarters of the Federal Police is, for me, a great opportunity to clarify the facts that have been explored in the press. I trust the investigation and the courts, which will point out that I have no responsibility, whether omissive or commissive, for the events of January 8th”.

In the decision that asked for Gonçalves Dias’ testimony, Moraes considered the images to be “very serious”, and that “indicate the incompetent performance of the authorities responsible for the internal security of the Planalto Palace, including the illicit and conniving omission of several GSI agents” .

In addition to the interrogation, Moraes asked the PF for all camera images, including those from the Planalto Palace, as well as the expertise and measures taken about them – this determination was made on the 8th of January itself. Moraes also asked for information about testimonies by military personnel from the Presidential Guard Battalion, who provide security for the Presidency – this order was given on February 27.

X-ray on GSI

Cappelli assumed the interim command of the portfolio on Wednesday night (19) at the request of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), who had a private meeting with Gonçalves Dias shortly before the general resigned from his position. The new minister stated that he is preparing a detailed report on the structure of the GSI and evaluating what changes can be made.

The minister spent part of this Friday (21) in meetings with GSI agents and other members of the government, and that the survey on the structure will be presented to the president after he returns from his trip to Europe. There is still no decision whether the military that are part of the cabinet structure will be exonerated or not.

A little earlier, Minister Alexandre Padilha, for Institutional Relations, said that an x-ray is being carried out on the structure of the GSI and that all agents who had any improper participation during the acts of January 8 will be held accountable.

“This x-ray has to be done, one of the actions at this moment of interim is exactly this x-ray, [assim] as institutions that seek to identify evidence of a relationship between civil servants or military personnel and terrorist acts have been doing through the Federal Police and the instruments of the Judiciary”, he said.

In a meeting on Thursday with the General Commander of the Army Tomás Miguel Paiva, Cappelli stated that he has been conducting “this discussion in complete harmony with both civilians and the Army command”. The commander says that he collaborates and will accept the decision that may be taken, and that the military may be tried in common court depending on what is decided by the STF.

An internal inquiry was opened at the GSI to investigate the conduct of civil and military agents on January 8, and a report should be produced by mid-May.

GSI military personnel were identified by interim

Alexandre de Moraes also ordered the Federal Police to identify all the soldiers who appear in the images released this Wednesday (19), taking their statements within the same 48 hours, if they have not already been taken. On the night of this Thursday (21), the acting minister of the GSI, Ricardo Cappelli, said that he had already identified them and forwarded them to the magistrate.

“I have just answered the questions asked by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the STF, about the identification of the servers that appear in the images released yesterday (Wednesday, 19). We will accelerate the ongoing inquiry into the GSI,” he said in a post on twitter.