Army lieutenant colonel Mauro Cid, former adjutant to former president Jair Bolsonaro, will give a new statement to the Federal Police (PF), next Tuesday (19), in Brasília. Cid signed a plea bargain agreement after being arrested as part of the investigation that investigates fraud in vaccination certificates against covid-19.
In addition to the case regarding vaccines, he cooperated with the investigation into the attempted coup d’état that would have been prepared at the highest level of the Bolsonaro government and is also implicated in jewelry and gift sales scheme handed over to the former president by foreign authorities.
Cid’s lawyer, Cezar Bittencourt, told Brazil Agencythis Sunday (17), that there is “no concern” from the defense that Cid’s plea agreement will be reevaluated. According to Bittencourt, it is common for new information to emerge during the investigation and for the police to look again for the people being investigated.
However, if the Federal Police concludes that Mauro Cid did not comply with the obligations of the agreement, the former aide-de-camp could be subject to a request to terminate the collaboration. The measure would not annul the plea bargain, but would cancel the benefits, including the right to remain free.
Mauro Cid was arrested on May 3, 2023, as part of Operation Venire, which investigates the insertion of false vaccination data against covid-19 in the Ministry of Health systems. He was imprisoned in an Army Police battalion, in Brasília, until September 9, when he signed the award-winning collaboration with the PF and was released by decision of the Minister of the Federal Supreme Court Alexandre de Moraes.
To the investigations showed that former president Bolsonaro and members of his government, including state and military ministers, formulated a draft, with the participation of Bolsonaro, which provided for a series of measures against the Judiciary, including the arrest of Supreme Court ministers. This group also held meetings to encourage the dissemination of fake news against the Brazilian electoral system.
Messages found on Mauro Cid’s cell phone show that, despite reports and meetings guaranteeing that electronic voting machines are safe, the preparation of the draft of the coup continued.
In March this year, Cid was arrested again for non-compliance with imposed precautionary measures and obstruction of justice. At the time, audio was leaked in which the former aide-de-camp criticized the actions of the cases’ rapporteur, Minister Alexandre de Moraes, and stated that he was pressured by the PF to report episodes of which he had no knowledge or “what did not happen ”.
Mauro Cid was released again in May, on provisional release granted by the minister.
The minister Alexandre de Moraes decided to maintain the validity of the plea agreement after confirmation of the information by the military, during the hearing in which he was arrested.
