Mauro Cid denies having been coerced by the PF and says the audio was “outburst”

Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid retreated and denied having been coerced by the Federal Police in his statements. Jair Bolsonaro’s (PL) former aide-de-camp was called to give testimony to the Federal Supreme Court (STF), in the early afternoon of this Friday (22), after the search Look reveal audios in which he criticizes the actions of Minister Alexandre de Moraes and the PF.

The soldier reaffirmed the content of the plea bargain he signed with the PF in the past. In the recordings revealed by the publication, Cid said that he was pressured by the PF to report episodes of which he was not aware or “which did not happen”. Furthermore, he stated that Moraes has a “ready narrative” and was just waiting for the right moment to “arrest everyone”.

During the hearing, Cid confirmed that it was his voice in the recordings, but highlighted that it was an “informal, private, private conversation, with no intention of being exposed in a mass circulation magazine”. The lieutenant colonel confirmed that he “wishes to maintain the award-winning collaboration agreement” in the “exact terms” under which it was concluded.

Shortly after the testimony, Moraes ordered Cid’s preventive arrest for obstruction of justice and failure to comply with precautionary measures. This evening, the minister released the transcript of the minutes of Cid’s testimony to eliminate “any doubts” about the legality of the accusation.

“In view of the need to eliminate any doubts about the legality, spontaneity and voluntariness of Mauro César Barbosa Cid’s collaboration, who fully confirmed the previous terms of his statements, I make public the minutes of the hearing held for the collaborator’s hearing, on the 22nd/ 3/2024, at 1 pm, in the hearing room of the Federal Supreme Court, with the presence of the Attorney General’s Office and the defenders”, wrote Moraes in the decision.

Cid says the audio was “outburst” at a “sensitive” moment

Mauro Cid stated that he sent an audio message in an “outburst” tone, but did not reveal who the interlocutor would be. The soldier said he “doesn’t remember who he said those outbursts to, at a bad time.” He reported to judge Airton Vieira – an instructor judge appointed by Moraes – that he is facing “financial and family problems”.

“This month of March, because of the promotion, is more sensitive. Everything he said was an outburst,” he told the instructing judge. Cid also reported that his “career is collapsing” and that “his friends treat him like a leper, afraid of harming himself.” He stated that “he is cooped up” and has “gained more than 10 kilos”.

According to the transcript of the hearing, Cid emphasized that the accusation was made of his own free will. “There was never any inducement to respond. No member of the Federal Police coerced him into saying something that would not have happened,” said the soldier.

The lieutenant colonel maintained that the audio was a “generic outburst, everyone ends up saying things that weren’t meant to be said”. Asked who would have the “ready narrative” in the investigation, Cid stated that the PF has a line of investigation and He presented his version of the facts in his statements. The soldier emphasized that no police officer coerced him into saying something that had not happened.

Preventive arrest and denunciation

After being arrested, Mauro Cid underwent a criminal examination at the National Institute of Criminalistics of the Federal Police. He was taken to the Army Police Battalion, in Brasília, where he will be detained for an indefinite period.

The plea agreement signed will now be re-analyzed by Moraes, who may review the benefit agreed by the PF, mainly the maximum penalty of 2 years in prison. The terms of collaboration, as reported so far to the Federal Police, remain maintained and are not under review by the minister.