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Activist murder arrested suspects have “coincidental” links with President Bolsonaro

Wednesday, March 13th 2019 - 09:33 UTC
Full article 39 comments
One of the two suspects apparently published a photograph of himself alongside Mr Bolsonaro on his Facebook account - since deleted. One of the two suspects apparently published a photograph of himself alongside Mr Bolsonaro on his Facebook account - since deleted.

Apparent links between Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro and two suspects arrested over the murder of rights activist Marielle Franco are believed to be a coincidence, police said on Tuesday, as the President faced scrutiny over the connections.

One of the two suspects apparently published a photograph of himself alongside Mr Bolsonaro on his Facebook account - since deleted - while the other lived in the same Rio de Janeiro residential complex as the President.

Mr Bolsonaro dismissed the photo with suspect Elcio Vieira de Queiroz, which went viral on social media, as one of thousands he's posed for with members of the armed forces.

And police said it was a mere coincidence that the second suspect, retired military police officer Ronnie Lessa, shared a residence with Mr Bolsonaro.

Lessa, 48, was arrested early on Tuesday, suspected of having pulled the trigger - 13 times - that killed Franco and her chauffeur Anderson Gomes in March last year.

He was detained at his home in the up-market seaside neighborhood of Barra de Tijuca, where Mr Bolsonaro lives when in Rio, police confirmed.

It was there that the far-right presidential candidate celebrated his election victory in October in front of a massive gathering of supporters.

”The fact that (Lessa) lives in the same residential complex as Bolsonaro has little to do with the Marielle affair,“ police commissioner Giniton Lages told reporters.

”There is no direct relationship with the Bolsonaro family, we've discovered nothing.“

When asked by a journalist about an apparent romantic relationship between Lessa's daughter and one of Mr. Bolsonaro's sons, commissioner Lages replied: ”That's right... but that's not important for us at the moment.“

Vieira de Queiroz, 46, who was previously sacked from the military police, is believed to have driven the car that followed Franco's own vehicle before the lethal drive-by shooting.

A photo dating back to 2011 of him seemingly besides Mr Bolsonaro had been reproduced and shared all over the web prior to his Facebook account being deleted.

Only the bottom half of Bolsonaro's face could be seen in the picture and AFP's fact-checking team was unable to prove that the figure in the photo was indeed the President.

When questioned on the matter by journalists, Mr Bolsonaro said: ”I've had my picture taken with thousands of soldiers all over Brazil.“

”The most important thing is to know who ordered this murder,” added Mr Bolsonaro.

Franco was a black gay rights activist who was an outspoken critic of police brutality and defender of the poor.

She was murdered on March 14, 2018, and until Tuesday's arrests, seemingly no progress had been made into the homicide investigation in almost a year.

Categories: Politics, Brazil.

Top Comments

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  • :o))

    REF: “When questioned on the matter by journalists, Mr Bolsonaro said: ”I've had my picture taken with thousands of soldiers all over Brazil”:

    TRUE!

    BUT how many of these thousands of “soldiers” live at the SAME ADDRESS as that of the president?

    A simple question - similar to the aforesaid - was NEVER asked by ANY media/reporter/investigator!

    As always suspected; the Interviews, Investigations, Trials, news, etc. are nothing but a part of ONE BIG FARCE! I assume that Dr. Moro is unaware of THAT:

    REF: “There is nothing new about the relationship between the Bolsonaros and militiamen”:
    https://www.brasildefato.com.br/2019/01/23/there-is-nothing-new-about-the-relationship-between-the-bolsonaros-and-militiamen/

    Mar 13th, 2019 - 02:00 pm 0
  • Jack Bauer

    @:o))
    You too, Brutus ??

    ““When questioned on the matter by journalists, Mr Bolsonaro said: ”I've had my picture taken with thousands of soldiers all over Brazil”.......TRUE....but nevertheless, the press will have a field day with conspiracy theories....
    Perhaps they must have nothing more important to write about.....

    “ ....a mere coincidence that the second suspect, retired military police officer Ronnie Lessa, shared a residence with Mr Bolsonaro”...

    “”Shared a residence“ ?? I'd say kind of inaccurate......same condominium, not same house; this is the kind of irresponsible, bad reporting that leads idiots like the slimy albino cockroach to say sh*t like ”Mourão served in Haiti“, ”Mourão was Gen Heleno's commanding officer in Haiti“, ”Bolsonaro said his wife was weak”.......LOL...

    Yesterday, the moment it was announced that one of the suspects lived in the same condo as Bolsonaro had before he was elected, I knew that someone would try to link him to Marielle's execution....when you don't have facts, invent crap.

    Mar 13th, 2019 - 08:19 pm 0
  • :o))

    @Jack Bauer

    REF: “I knew that someone would try to link him to Marielle's execution - when you don't have facts, invent crap”:

    As you know, being sceptical, my speciality is sarcasm!

    Hence:
    “As always suspected; the interviews, trials, news, investigations, etc. are nothing but a part of one BIG FARCE!”

    REF: “A simple question - similar to the aforesaid - was NEVER asked by ANY media/reporter/investigator!”

    Having said that; could there be some possibility of “wherever there smoke.....”? Afterall; The Queiroz Scandal [just ONE of the scandals] still appears to be “active”! Will time tell?
    FROM: Reuters:
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-politics/scandal-involving-brazil-president-elects-son-clouds-inauguration-idUSKCN1OQ158

    Mar 13th, 2019 - 10:15 pm 0
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