The Federal Police and the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro are investigating the presence of eight people allegedly linked to organized crime among the candidates for the elections for legislative positions in Brazil on Sunday.
The Brazilian authorities suspect that these candidates can start the electoral race with an advantage because they have free access to the areas controlled by the criminal groups, as well as the economic power related to their activities.
Among the candidates allegedly linked to drug trafficking are the candidates for federal deputy Tiego Raimundo dos Santos Silva, of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB), Cristiano Santos Hermógenes, of the Liberal Party (PL), and Flávia Pinheiro Fróes, of the União Brasil, detail or journal The balloon.
On the other hand, there is also the candidate for the Chamber of Deputies Sérgio Porto, of the Republican Party of Social Order (PROS), the candidate for a seat in the Assembly of Rio de Janeiro, Sérgio Roberto Egger de Moura, of the Christian Democracy (DC ), arrested in 2009 and 2011 after being accused of leading an armed group and allegedly orchestrating a plot to assassinate police officers, prosecutors, judges and witnesses.
In turn, the candidates for federal deputy Ricardo Abrao, from União Brasil, and the former secretary of the Civil Police Allan Turnowski —detained earlier this month—, released by the PL, are being investigated for their relationship with a well-known illegal game random in Brazil. as “jogo do bicho”.
The eighth name on this list is that of former Military Police sergeant Vandro Lopes Gonçalves, candidate for deputy in Rio de Janeiro for the Solidarity party, whose candidacy was challenged after a complaint for the alleged release of prisoners and for being the moral author of the murder of a substitute councillor.
Pending the decision of the Federal Court of Brasilia on his appeal, Vandro Lopes Gonçalves is the only one of those named who cannot be elected on Sunday, despite the fact that most of these eight candidates are being investigated for cases ranging from participation in a gang crime including homicides.
Tiego Raimundo dos Santos Silva was arrested for belonging to a drug gang, as well as for money laundering, and is also accused of criminal organization, illegal firearms trafficking, car theft and corruption.
Cristiano Santos is the brother of Márcio dos Santos, alias “Marcinho VP”, a well-known drug trafficker who reportedly obtained authorization from the faction leadership to campaign in the communities controlled by the group.
Flávia Pinheiro Fróes worked as a lawyer for important figures in drug trafficking and local crime, such as “Marcinho VP” himself, or Abel Pacheco de Andrade, alias “Vida Loca”, and is suspected of having organized the purchase in Paraguay of more than fifty shotguns that were later used in criminal operations in Rio de Janeiro.
General elections are held on October 2 and, in addition to the position of President and Vice President, the governments of the 27 states of the country, the total renewal of the Chamber of Deputies, the partial renewal of the Senate and the legislative assemblies are at stake state.
Source: Observadora
