The group exercised control over investigations related to territorial disputes or illicit markets, such as the exploitation of illegal gambling.
The Federal Public Ministry (MPF) presented on Friday (13) a new complaint to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) against three civil police officers from Rio de Janeiro, accused of being part of a criminal association to obstruct investigations about homicides, including the murder of councilor Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes, which occurred in March 2018.
The action also covers the attempted murder against advisor Fernanda Chaves. Those accused are former Civil Police chief Rivaldo Barbosa de Araújo Júnior, police chief Giniton Lages and commissioner Marco Antonio de Barros Pinto.
This is the second accusation formalized by the Deputy Attorney General of the Republic, Hindenburgo Chateaubriand, within the scope of Inquiry 4954, which is being processed by the STF and resulted in the case being split up to deepen investigations into obstruction of justice and criminal association.
How it worked
According to the complaint, the three police officers, along with other suspects, formed a criminal network in Rio de Janeiro to ensure impunity in homicide crimes committed by militias or misdemeanors.
The group exercised direct or indirect control over investigations related to territorial disputes or illicit markets, such as the exploitation of illegal gambling.
The organization acted systematically, promoting: disappearance of evidence, control of investigations, concealment of evidence, failure to preserve evidentiary elements, incrimination of innocent people, use of false testimonies and carrying out unproductive measures.
According to the MPF, this criminal structure, led by Rivaldo Barbosa, explored a context of “commodification of homicides” in the state.
The complaint says that Rivaldo, as director of the Civil Police Homicide Division, previously joined the Marielle Franco assassination plancommitting to guarantee the impunity of the executioners.
The deputy attorney general requests the maintenance of precautionary measures already imposed, the loss of public positions for the accused and compensation for collective moral damages, due to the damage caused to the investigative system in Rio de Janeiro.
Trial of Rivaldo Barbosa as alleged mastermind of the crime is scheduled for February 24th at the STF.
