Remember moments of investigation that brought down Abin nº2 – 01/30/2024 – Power

The series of operations by the Federal Police investigating the misuse of spy software at Abin (Brazilian Intelligence Agency) and the possibility of a “parallel Abin” during the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) government has already generated a series of political repercussions.

The two most recent phases affected the former president’s surroundings. Last Thursday (25) federal deputy Alexandre Ramagem (PL-RJ), general director of the agency in the last government and a strong ally of Bolsonaro, was the target of search and seizure.

On Monday (29), it was the turn of one of the former president’s sons, councilor Carlos Bolsonaro (Republicanos-RJ), in an investigation into the “political core” of the body’s illegal structure. Next Tuesday (6), General Augusto Heleno, then chief minister of the GSI (Institutional Security Office) — the department to which Abin was linked — is expected to testify to the PF about the functioning of the agency.

The Lula government (PT) was also the target of the operation’s developments. In the request made to Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the STF (Supreme Federal Court), the PF states that the current management of Abin sought to interfere in the investigation.

This Tuesday (30), the president decided to fire the deputy director of the intelligence agency, Alessandro Moretti.

Remember the phases of the operation, and the developments of the PF investigation:

First searches and removal of number 3 from Abin

After Lula took office and amid the transfer of Abin to the Civil House, the agency completed a correction in February last year to verify the regularity of FirstMile, the software that has the capacity to obtain georeferencing information from cell phones.

In March, the use of the system became public, and the intelligence agency opened an investigative inquiry into the program, sharing information with the PF and STF.

In October, the PF launched Operation Last Mile to investigate the irregular tracking of the geolocation of opponents of the previous government. 25 search and seizure warrants and two preventive arrest warrants were executed in five states and the Federal District.

At that moment, Moraes also authorized searches at Abin’s headquarters. The judge also ordered the removal of Paulo Maurício Fortunato Pinto, planning secretary and number 3 at the agency, and four other employees.

Fortunato was the target of a search and seizure at his home. At the time, investigators found US$171,000 (around R$847,000 at current exchange rates) in cash.

Advancement of investigations and invasion of operators

At the beginning of January, the PF advanced investigations into how the intelligence agency used FirstMile, software purchased for R$5.7 million from the Israeli Cognyte, with no need for bidding, at the end of the Michel Temer (MDB) government in 2018 .

One of the elements used to indicate the illegal use of the software is an email about the alleged attempt to invade the operator Tim’s network.

According to the PF, FirstMile invaded the Brazilian telephone network to track the location of anyone’s cell phone based on data sent to telecommunications towers. The program cannot intercept phone calls or messages.

By breaking into the telephone network, the investigators say, the need for authorization from the Court to obtain information about the location of the devices was, in practice, dispensed with. This would enable the government to track political opponents.

Operation against Ramagem and ‘parallel Abin’

On January 25, the second phase of investigations into the Abin case was launched: Operation Close Surveillance. This phase was the result of in-depth investigations and targeted federal police officers involved in the use of FirstMile.

Ramagem was the target of this stage, as illegal monitoring occurred during his tenure at the intelligence agency. Furthermore, the parliamentarian would have been corrupted to prevent the disclosure of information about the irregular use of spy software.

According to the PF, the evidence collected in the first phase of the operation shows 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 of personal benefits and even to interfere in Federal Police investigations”.

Lula government interference

In Operation Close Surveillance, in a document requesting authorization for the searches, endorsed by Moraes, the Federal Police says that “Abin’s current management carried out actions that interfered with the smooth running of the investigation.”

The corporation cited the agency’s number two at the time, deputy director Alessandro Moretti, and said that, in a meeting with those under investigation, he stated that the investigation into the case had “a political basis and would pass.” Moretti is a PF delegate, and from now on, he became the target of possible dismissal by Lula.

In the request, the entity says that Moretti’s stance is not what was expected from a delegate who, until December 2022, held the role of PF Intelligence Director.

Carlos Bolsonaro and former president’s surroundings in the crosshairs

On Monday, a new PF operation investigating the arapongagem in Abin is launched, this time targeting Carlos Bolsonaro. In the new action, the corporation targeted possible recipients of information illegally produced by the federal government’s intelligence agency.

According to the PF, the measures taken aimed to “advance in the political core, identifying the main recipients and beneficiaries of information produced illegally within the scope of Abin”.

In Carlos’ office, in Rio, the agents took a notebook, desktop computers and documents. At the family home in Angra dos Reis (RJ), Carlos’ cell phone and another computer were seized by the PF.

Now, the Federal Police have summoned General Augusto Heleno to testify in the investigation. The testimony is scheduled for next Tuesday (6).

Abin’s No. 2 fired

After a series of pressure between Abin and the PF, Lula signed Moretti’s resignation from the Brazilian intelligence agency this Tuesday. In his place, intelligence specialist Marco Cepik, current director of the Abin Intelligence School, will take his place.

Moretti had been number two to Anderson Torres, former Minister of Justice, at the Security Secretariat of the Federal District, between 2018 and 2021, and director of intelligence at the PF in the last year of the Bolsonaro government.