Former Rio de Janeiro Military Police sergeant Élcio Queiroz gave testimony this Friday (30) in the criminal action opened by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) to investigate whether the Brazão brothers and other defendants acted as masterminds in the murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco and driver Anderson Gomes, in 2018.
Élcio drove the car used by former police officer Ronnie Lessa, who confessed to the murder, to kill the councilwoman. He is in prison and signed a plea bargain in which he admitted to participating in the crime.
The former police officer said he was involved in a “web of lies” and did not know he would participate in the murder when he was called by Lessa to drive the vehicle used in the crime. Élcio said he had never heard of the councilwoman.
“I think he [Ronnie] He was disloyal to me and deceived me. I was involved in a web of lies. He used me,” he said.
Despite saying that Lessa was disloyal, Élcio Queiroz said that he continued his friendship with the former police officer after the crime.
“I continued my friendship with Ronnie, but I was upset that he didn’t say it would be homicide,” he said.
The former sergeant also gave details about the moments leading up to Marielle’s murder.
He said that he warned Lessa about the presence of Anderson and Fernanda Chaves, advisor to the councilorin the car, and said that he could “kill innocent people”. However, Ronnie activated the “burst mode” of the HK submachine gun used in the crime. Fernanda was not hit by the shots and survived.
“I heard the shots, it was quick, but it made a lot of noise. I didn’t even see Marielle being executed,” he added.
The defendants in the case are the advisor to the Court of Auditors of Rio de Janeiro (TCE-RJ), Domingos Brazão, his brother, Chiquinho Brazão, federal deputy (without party-RJ), the former head of the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro Rivaldo Barbosa and the major of the Military Police Ronald Paulo de Alves Pereira. All are charged with the crimes of homicide and organized crime and are in prison.
Around 70 witnesses are expected to testify in the criminal case. The defendants’ statements will only be taken at the end of the trial.
This week, Ronnie Lessa also gave a statement and said that found out about the operation in advance of the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro who arrested him and that the murder of the councilwoman was planned to avoid the connotation of a political crime and the entry of the Federal Police into the case.
