MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Two ex police officers charged with the killing of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman and driver
Ronnie Lessa and Elcio de Queiroz were arrested on Tuesday, a few days before the first anniversary of the deaths of Franco 
Marielle Franco was a black, openly gay, and progressive councilwoman born in a poor Rio neighbourhood, and was killed with her driver, Anderson Gomes. Two former police officers were indicted on Friday on charges of killing Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver, and will face trial in a crime that shocked Brazilians and human rights activists around the world.
Ronnie Lessa and Elcio de Queiroz were arrested on Tuesday, a few days before the first anniversary of the deaths of Franco, a black, openly gay, and progressive councilwoman born in a poor Rio neighbourhood, and her driver, Anderson Gomes.
Judge Gustavo Kalil, from Rio's fourth criminal court, ordered a freeze on any assets held by the men with an eye to safeguarding compensation for relatives of the victims if the two are convicted.
Franco was a vocal critic of the Rio police for their often-deadly gang-busting operations in the city's slums, and took stands against the paramilitary militias made up of current and former police.
Prosecutors accuse the two former police of being linked to the militias in Rio, and of having received 200,000 reais (£39,432) for the killings.
Investigators said Lessa fired the shots that killed Franco and Gomes on March 14, 2018, while Queiroz drove the car that ambushed them.
Lessa and Queiroz have opted to remain silent in the initial court hearings. Lawyers for both say they did not commit the crimes.
Top Comments
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Read all commentsREF: “Lawyers for both say they did not commit the crimes”:
Mar 16th, 2019 - 11:17 am 0OF COURSE THEY DIDN'T!
The Investigations+Trials+News+Interviews, etc. are nothing but a part of one GIGANTIC FARCE anyway!
If there was SOME seriousness in Brazil; it was possible to:
- Chopp-Off the Privileges+Immunities of the politicians
- Minimize their absurdly unrealistic & high salaries
- Prevent the corrupt from remaining active in politics
- Oblige the convicted corrupt to return the stolen wealth
- Prevent the legalization of corruption
As that's NEVER going to happen; the Brazilians may remain hallucinated that they live in a GREAT country!
They may be the fall guys, but the higher-ups who commissioned Marielle's assassination will remain untouched.
Mar 18th, 2019 - 04:15 am 0@Enrique Massot
Mar 18th, 2019 - 09:57 am 0Absolutely TRUE!
What else would you expect when a majority of the politicians who are involved - directly/indirectly - in scandals which surfaced but were conveniently AND permanently forgotten PLUS those which are yet to surface?
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