During a statement to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) on Monday (9), Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid stated that former President Jair Bolsonaro asked the then Minister of Defense, Paulo Sérgio Nogueira, to receive Hacker Walter Delgatti Neto and Mrs Carla Zambelli (PL-SP) to treat alleged electronic ballot fraud.
According to Cid, Zambelli scheduled a meeting between Bolsonaro and Delgatti in the palace of Alvorada. The former president wanted to hear a technical assessment about the possibility of manipulating the ballot box and understanding if there would be any form to detect fraud. The intention, according to Cid, was “having a technical point of view” on the subject.
Following the meeting at Alvorada Palace, Bolsonaro would have asked Paulo Sérgio to deepen the discussion with the hacker and the deputy. Cid stated that the meeting at the Ministry of Defense occurred, but could not tell if the then minister participated directly in the meeting.
Following the meeting at Alvorada Palace, Bolsonaro would have asked Paulo Sérgio to deepen the discussion with the hacker and the deputy. Cid stated that the meeting at the Ministry of Defense occurred, but could not tell if the then minister participated directly in the meeting.
The former assistant also reported that Bolsonaro pressured Paulo Sérgio Nogueira to adopt a harder stance in the official report on the safety of the ballot box.
Although the document was already ready, the delivery to the TSE would have been postponed by political pressure, aiming to incorporate terms more aligned with the suspicions raised by the Plateau. According to Cid, Bolsonaro sought a text that balanced technical aspects and political demands.
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The final report, although no evidence of fraud in the 2022 elections, stated that the electronic ballot boxes could not be audited. The ambiguity in the text opened margin for theories that discredited the Brazilian electoral system and launched doubts about the legitimacy of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) victory.
