Prison of Silvinei Vasques favors CPMI governors of January 8

The arrest of Silvinei Vasques, former director general of the Federal Highway Police (PRF), by the Federal Police (PF) at his home in Florianópolis, this Wednesday morning (9), gives ammunition to the ruling majority of the Mixed Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPMI) on January 8 to defend the thesis of the rapporteur, senator Eliziane Gama (PSD-MA), of alleged interference by the PRF in the second round of the 2022 elections. politics and a “smokescreen” to hide the federal government’s omissions in the episode of the invasion of the headquarters of the Three Powers.

The PF’s Citizen Constitution Operation is precisely focused on determining whether PRF directors directed material and human resources to block the displacement of voters from the Northeast on October 30. This is one of the points in the chronology defined by the rapporteur for the alleged coup d’état led by former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

In addition to questioning Vasques’ testimony at the CPMI on January 20, which inaugurated the commission’s hearings phase, the PF operation may also support the rapporteur in her effort to challenge information provided by Anderson Torres, former Minister of Justice, in Tuesday (8).

Both Vasques and Torres decided to answer all the questions asked by parliamentarians and presented documents to reinforce their defenses, denying any interference in the elections. Despite this, members of the CPMI government base persist in identifying collaborators in the alleged coup, with Vasques and Torres as two of the main targets. Even the request for the arrest of the former director of the PRF for false testimony had already been suggested.

“There was no interference from the Ministry of Justice in the operational planning of the PRF and its director general informed that the planning of the second round had been similar to the first. No one stopped voting, and the TSE itself [Tribunal Superior Eleitoral] recognized that,” Torres told the CPMI. “The Northeast, along with the North, were where the PRF carried out the least inspection. Where it was most inspected was in the Southeast, then in the South, in the Midwest”, declared Vasques to the collegiate.

For analysts and opposition politicians, the prisons of Torres, today monitored by an electronic ankle bracelet after four months in prison; Bolsonaro’s former aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid; and, now, of Vasques, outline a clear prospect of following the former president.

Federal deputy Evair de Mello (PP-ES), deputy leader of the opposition in the Chamber, criticized Vasques’ arrest and said that the operation was “disproportionate and unnecessary”.

“It’s yet another smokescreen to cover up all the truths that could emerge from January 8th. Minister Alexandre de Moraes himself, when he determines that police operations should not be carried out on the day of the second round, he naturally intervenes in the prerogative of the police and in the electoral process”, he said.

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) said that Vasques “is suffering the real ‘political violence'”. “The Federal Police, headed by Lula’s close friend, is used for persecution. Attention PRFs, do not WORK, because you can be ARRESTED for ‘anti-democratic act’. .

Defense reports challenge voter obstruction thesis

Silvinei Vasques is investigated by the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) for alleged misuse of office. In November 2022, the MPF filed a lawsuit against him, arguing that he favored Bolsonaro in the 2022 campaign, citing his posts on social networks and the PRF blitz in the Northeast, which would have prevented the circulation of buses, making it difficult for voters to arrive at the polls.

The official data presented by Vasques revealed, however, record attendance at polling stations in the region and the absence of disturbances as a result of inspections to verify possible vote buying, which led to the seizure of large sums of money in cash, facts corroborated by the Superior Court. Elections (TSE).

Deputy Delegate Ramagem (PL-RJ) highlighted the positive evaluation of the TSE president himself, Alexandre de Moraes, shortly after the second round, praising that “the voter went to his election session, voted calmly and returned to his home without further ado”. problems”, endorses this statement.

After Vasques’ testimony at the CPMI, the collegiate notified the Federal Supreme Court (STF), through the Senate Advocacy, about indications that the former director of the PRF would have collaborated with “preparatory facts” to the acts of January 8. The document defended the breach of his telephone and bank secrecy, which was contested by his defense.

For his lawyers, the approval of breach of secrecy was a “real violence to the Constitution and to the image and privacy” of the former director for “having no relation with the acts” of vandalism in Praça dos Três Poderes.

In his defense, Vasques recalled that the Northeast, as it is the region with the largest number of states (nine) and where the largest federal road network is located, is also where the largest number of PRF units and personnel are located. In addition, he recalled that, historically, the region registers the highest number of accidents with victims and electoral crimes, with leadership in arrests in flagrante delicto. According to the now retired police officer, the PRF recorded 900 fines during the election period in the Northeast. For the government supporters, however, the actions took into account the more favorable electoral performance for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in the region.

Rapporteur wants Vasques recalled to ask questions again

During a press conference held this Wednesday morning (9), to address the arrest of Silvinei Vasques, the CPMI rapporteur, Eliziane Gama, showed interest in recalling the retired police officer to ask questions again. She reiterated her questions regarding alleged confidential aspects discussed during the meeting of the Superior Council of the PRF, which took place on October 19, with all the superintendents and senior managers of the institution. She sees possible signs of coordination. In addition, the parliamentarian again highlighted the substantial increase in resources destined for the Northeast in operations for the second round, through the increase in daily rates, originally estimated at R$ 500 thousand and later increased to R$ 3 million.

Another point she mentioned again was the purchase by the PRF of 69 armored vehicles from the company Combat Armor, carried out between 2020 and 2021, at a cost of BRL 36 million. The acquisition should, according to her, be considered by the ongoing investigations. The senator, a political ally of Minister Flávio Dino (Justice), did not rule out the possibility of, at a later stage, requesting the summoning of former President Jair Bolsonaro to testify in relation to this same issue.

Senator Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE) stressed that the opposition is not afraid of any investigation, and the summoning of Anderson Torres was, for example, also requested by him.

“But those who claim to be victims want to protect the powerful. Take the case of the Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, who missed the deadline of 48 to deliver the images to the Ministry of Justice and only now, after asking permission from the STF, will he deliver them to the commission. Our target is the truth of the facts, ”he said.