opposition criticizes PF operation against Ramagem

The operation launched this Thursday (25) against federal deputy Alexandre Ramagem (PL-RJ) is being criticized by the opposition for, once again, targeting a parliamentarian active in Congress and who is allied with former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL). The action against the Rio native comes a week after another deputy, Carlos Jordy (PL-RJ), was targeted by the Federal Police.

Ramagem’s office in the Chamber of Deputies was the target of search and seizure warrants in the early hours of the day, in an investigation that investigates a group that allegedly operated within the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) to illegally monitor people such as politicians and judges through of cell phones and tablets without judicial authorization.

The PL’s national president, Valdemar Costa Neto, considered the operation as a “persecution because of Bolsonaro” and a “lack of authority from the National Congress”, in which “Rodrigo Pacheco should react and take action”.

“This is pure persecution and could end up electing Ramagem more easily in Rio de Janeiro,” he said.

Federal deputy Bia Kicis (PL-DF) considered the operation against the deputy to be “total disrespect for parliament”, highlighting the execution of warrants in the functional apartment and in Ramagem’s office in the Chamber.

Senator Magno Malta (PL-ES) claims that there is a “political persecution” against Ramagem. “Relentless political persecution against Delegate Ramagem and his family. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him, and he will do the most,” he stated.

Federal deputy Gilberto Silva (PL-PB) followed the same line and considers that “we are already in Venezuela”. “You can close the National Congress and hand over the key to the STF. 594 parliamentarians, where the majority are cowardly and silent”, he added.

“First it was Jordy, now it’s Ramagem’s turn. Both opposition politicians, pre-candidates for mayor in important cities in the state of RJ. It’s obvious that the system dominated by drug trafficking and corruption does not want to allow alternatives”, pointed out the deputy Luiz Philippe from Orleans and Bragança (PL-SP).

Federal deputy Júlia Zanatta (PL-SC) followed the same line and stated that “there is no shortage of lame excuses to violate and intimidate opposition deputies legitimately elected by the Brazilian people. And if the intention is to use the machine in this election year to cause political wear and tear For Bolsonaro’s nominees for mayor, the situation is even more serious.”

“There is an excess of power. […] We are making a manifesto so that we can stop some attitudes that are happening with parliamentarians, mainly from the PL. I think what is happening is an abusive act, parliamentarians have their prerogatives, there is a type of persecution”, added deputy Luiz Carlos Motta (PL-SP).

Federal deputy Maurício Marcon (Podemos-RS) says that the PF “has been used to persecute opponents of the regime”, citing the cases of Ramagem and Jordy and stating that both are pre-candidates for mayor of two important cities, such as Rio de Janeiro and Niterói (RJ).

“In this relative democracy that we live in, there is no doubt that we will soon have opposition parliamentarians arrested, impeached and who knows what else could happen”, he added.

Federal deputy Daniel Freitas (PL-SC) recalled that the tool allegedly used to spy on politicians and judges was purchased during the government of former president Michel Temer (MDB) and that it was “Ramagem himself who ordered the investigation into why the purchase”.

“They are instrumentalizing the entire State apparatus to try to block the strongest right-wing candidates. The National Congress is being spit on and the presidents of the Legislative Houses remain inert”, he added.

In addition to Freitas, deputy Coronel Meira (PL-PE) questioned why the STF authorized a PF operation against the former president’s allies and left aside a reaction against André Janones (Avante-MG), who is the target of an investigation for corruption. “We, opposition parliamentarians, are already working to stop this authoritarianism”, he pointed out.

Ramagem has not yet commented on this Thursday’s operation (25). However, during the execution of the action that gave rise to this, the Last Mile in October last year, he denied involvement in the scheme and said that he ordered a formal audit of all contracts upon assuming the position of director of Abin in 2019. At the time, the analysis led to a request for correction from the agency’s General Inspectorate and served as the basis for the operation launched by the PF.

According to investigations, a group of Abin servers illegally monitored cell phones and tablets of public servants, politicians, judges, among others, using the FirstMile software, purchased by former president Michel Temer (MDB) at the end of his term and used until the third year of Jair Bolsonaro’s (PL) government.

Abin reported that the program stopped being used in May 2021 and that it responded to all requests made by the PF and the Federal Supreme Court (STF).

Understand the case

Ramagem and Federal Police agents are the targets of a PF operation launched this Thursday morning (24) against a group that, according to investigations, worked within (Abin) to illegally monitor public authorities and other people.

Operation Approximate Surveillance is an offshoot of the Last Mile action, launched in October last year to investigate the use of geolocation tools on cell phones and tablets to monitor politicians, judges, among other people, without judicial authorization.

Ramagem’s office in the Chamber of Deputies and his functional apartment are targets of searches by the PF. A People’s Gazette
tries to contact the deputy and Abin to comment on the new investigation.

The PF arrived at Ramagem’s office in the Chamber at around 6:30 am to search and is being accompanied by the Legislative Police.

In total, 21 search and seizure warrants were executed, in addition to precautionary measures other than arrest, including the immediate suspension of seven federal police officers from exercising their public duties. Search and seizure efforts take place in Brasília, Juiz de Fora (MG), São João Del Rei (MG) and Rio de Janeiro.

Ramagem was the general director of Abin in the Bolsonaro government. He has also served as a Federal Police delegate. The parliamentarian is a PL pre-candidate for mayor of Rio de Janeiro in this year’s municipal elections.

At the time of Operation Última Milha, Ramagem said that he ordered a formal audit of all contracts when he took office in 2019 and that the analysis led to a request for correction at the Abin General Inspectorate, and that the PF’s action was the result of the “austerity work promoted under our management”.

“The evidence obtained from the investigations carried out by the Federal Police at the time [da operação Última Milha] indicate that the criminal group created a parallel structure at ABIN and used tools and services from that State intelligence agency for illicit actions, producing information for political and media use, to obtain personal benefits and even to interfere in Federal Police investigations “, said the corporation in a note.

At the time, the PF arrested two Abin employees and removed the agency’s “number 3”, Paulo Maurício Fortunato Pinto, for involvement in the irregular cell phone tracking scheme.

The investigation found that the monitoring was carried out using Israeli software called FirstMile purchased by the government and which used GPS data to irregularly monitor the cell phone locations of public servants, politicians, police officers, lawyers, journalists and judges.

Operation takes place a week after search warrant against opposition leader

Last Thursday (18), federal deputy Carlos Jordy, leader of the opposition to the Lula government in the Chamber, was the main target of the 24th phase of Operation Lesa Pátria, authorized by minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the STF. The episode generated a series of criticisms from parliamentarians, who pointed out political persecution against an important opposition leader to the Lula government and allied with Jair Bolsonaro.

This Wednesday (24), opposition congressmen met in the Chamber to define actions against excesses by the STF in relation to inquiries that investigate politicians with privileged jurisdiction. During a press conference, they repudiated the PF’s “abusive search and seizure” at Jordy’s house and called for an offensive from the presidents of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), and the Federal Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) against the STF. Both did not take a position after the operation against the opposition leader.

“We are here against abuses of authority and blatant disrespect for the Constitution. We understand that the PF operation was an attack not only on Jordy, but an attack on the opposition and the entire Parliament. Democracy is bleeding in Brazil. The accusations against Jordy cannot be sustained”, said Marcel van Hattem (Novo-RS).

The opposition leader in the Senate, Rogério Marinho (PL-RN), demanded balance between the Powers. “What is happening is very serious. We will define an institutional agenda to preserve and strengthen prerogatives in the Brazilian parliament. There is an evident hypertrophy of power over the Legislature. We want to discuss the prerogatives and balance necessary for the powers of the Republic,” he stated.