Brazil police investigate ex-president Bolsonaro’s allies over alleged coup attempt
- Investigation connected to alleged crime organisation that ‘acted to attempt a coup’ that would have kept Bolsonaro in power after election defeat
- Bolsonaro was not the target of a search but, like others, was ordered to forfeit his passport
Brazilian police are investigating several top allies of former President Jair Bolsonaro for allegedly trying to overturn the results of the 2022 election and searched their homes and offices on Thursday.
Bolsonaro was not the target of a search but, like others, was ordered to forfeit his passport, according to a decision by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes made public on Thursday.
The subjects of the 33 searches police planned to conduct included Bolsonaro’s 2022 running mate, General Walter Braga Netto; a former adviser, General Augusto Heleno; former Justice Minister Anderson Torres and the head of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party, Valdemar Costa Neto, the decision said.
There were also four preventive arrest warrants, one of which targeted Bolsonaro’s special adviser on international affairs, Filipe Martins.
Bolsonaro’s lawyer, Fabio Wajngarten, said on X, formerly Twitter, that Bolsonaro would comply with the order to hand over his passport. A Bolsonaro aide who among the search targets was with the former president at the time of the Thursday morning operation, Wajngarten said.
Police said in a statement they were carrying out 33 searches and seeking four arrests in eight states and the Federal District, where Brasilia is located.
The investigation is connected to an alleged criminal organisation that “acted to attempt a coup d’etat” that would have kept Bolsonaro in power after his election defeat against Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the statement said.