The strategy of the former minister of (institutional security office) to partially exercise the right of silence and respond only to his lawyer during interrogation in the (Supreme Court) may have been compromised by acting in which the general wrapped himself with the answers and implied that he did not only adopt illegal measures due to lack of “climate”, experts.
This Tuesday (10), Augusto Heleno only Matheus Milanez, but was rebuked by him as he wrapped himself with the answers and not delivering shorter speech, like yes or not, to questions.
Overall, Heleno denied scammers, but more than once he replied that he had not tried illegal actions because there was no “climate” or the lack of permission of the former president (PL).
He also stated that he was removed from military personnel who would be related to the alleged blow, indirectly confirming that there were those who mobilized toward a coup plot.
Augusto Heleno was the fifth to speak. Before him spoke the whistleblower and former ordinant of orders Mauro Cid, and former chief of the former Navy Commander, and former Justice Minister.
Also participating in the interrogation Bolsonaro, former Minister of Defense, and former Minister of and Defense.
All eights are accused of participating in the central nucleus of a coup plot to prevent the inauguration of President Lula (PT). They respond on the charges of the crimes of coup d’état, attempted abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law, armed criminal association, damage qualified to public assets and deterioration of listed assets.
For Ricardo Yamin, a doctor of law from PUC-SP, the general chose to be part in silence, but made a testimonial that helped him very little, from a legal point of view, and ended up hurting the initial self-defense strategy.
“When he denies his involvement in the questions, he is simply defending himself. This is already in defense and does not add. But when he makes confusion and misses his comments, he only harms himself. He made a statement that violated his strategy,” says the expert.
Danilo Pereira Lima, Professor of Constitutional Law and Coordinator of the Claretian Law Course of Batatais, speaks of the “sincericide” of General Augusto Heleno with the answers given to the lawyer. For him, the reference to the lack of “climate” is in line with the expert’s general reading about the military did not have embarked on the coup just for lack of opportunity.
“He committed a ‘sincericide’ and it is well this reading that I make about the discussion about whether the army commander [Freire Gomes] It was legalistic or not. For me, they [comandantes da FAB] They just did not embark on the coup because a climate lacked, favorable conditions were missing for the democratic regime to be overthrown, “he says.
The lack of “climate” was repeated by former President Jair Bolsonaro during his interrogation. He said he did not proceed with discussions on the state of siege and similar measures because there was no “climate” and “minimally solid” to take the measures that, according to the politician, were only attached after the doors closed in the TSE (Superior Electoral Court), referring to the fine of R $ 22.9 million received by its party, the PL, by litigation of bad faith in 2022.
Criminal lawyer Ana Carolina Barranquera, a specialist in law and criminal procedure, states that Augusto Heleno has wrapped herself when she cites a “table turn” that should be done before the elections. “Turning the table means that there will be illegal change of the result. Turning the table is not an expression that can be used to guarantee legality, but not to respect legality,” says the expert.
According to the prosecution, Heleno would have played the role of Bolsonaro counselor and worked on the “strategic direction” of the criminal organization, as well as integrating a “parallel intelligence nucleus” that would act in the consummation of the coup.
The general is also investigated in the case of “parallel”, in which the structures of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency in the monitoring of political opponents of Bolsonaro and in the armor of their children in investigations of the.
In interrogation, Heleno stated that in the short term it was not possible to infiltrate agents in ABIN. He also said he was adept at printed vote, but “had no strength to turn it into reality.”
Asked if he accepted the outcome of the polls, Heleno said that “he had to accept, there was no other solution.” He stated that the Bolsonaro government motto was to act within the four lines, in reference to the need for constitutionality of his actions, and denied any relationship with the January 8 coup attacks.
The general also denied knowledge about the yellow green dagger plane, which would plan the death of authorities, and said he had departed from Jair Bolsonaro during the former president’s term.
