The eight Bolsonarist businessmen who advocated a coup d'état if former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers' Party) wins the elections "function as leaders" of the criminal organization investigated for anti-democratic practices in the investigation conducted by the Supreme Court (STF). This is the reading of the Minister of the Court Alexandre de Moraes in the decision that authorized the search and seizure actions on 23 August, published on Monday (29).
According to Moraes, the messages revealed by the Metrópoles site follow the same "modus operandi" identified in previous investigations into the acts of September 7, 2021 and reveal "a real structure aimed at spreading attacks on the democratic rule of law, the STF, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and the authorities linked to these bodies, with well-defined dissemination strategies."
"These conducts, with a high degree of dangerousness, are revealed not only as mere "crimes of opinion", given that those investigated, in the context of the criminal organization analyzed, function as leaders, inciting the commission of various crimes and influencing other people, even if they are not members of the organization, to commit crimes."
Also according to Moraes, the content of the messages has similarities with actions investigated in previous investigations that point to "the existence of a true criminal organization, with strong digital activity and with production, publication, financing and political cores (...), with the clear purpose of undermining democracy and the rule of law.
The minister also justifies the need to block the bank accounts of the businessmen, since, due to their "financial condition" the power to reach the "illicit manifestations is absolutely potentiated".
Defense of a coup d'état
The Federal Police operation targeted eight businessmen: Luciano Hang, owner of the Havan department store chain; Afrânio Barreira, of the Coco Bambu restaurant chain; José Isaac Peres, owner of the shopping center giant Multiplan; José Koury, owner of Barra World Shopping, in Rio de Janeiro; André Tissot, of the Serra Group; Meyer Nigri, of Tecnisa; Ivan Wrobel, of the construction company W3 Engenharia; Marco Aurélio Raymundo, aka Morongo, owner of the surfwear brand Mormaii.
They are part of a WhatsApp group where the coup messages circulate. The messages were revealed in a report by journalist Guilherme Amado published on the site Metrópoles, on Wednesday (17). According to the follow-up of the report, the group has attacks on the STF, the TSE and also exaltation to the Armed Forces.
There, José Koury said he preferred an institutional rupture to the return of the PT to government. He also said that if Brazil returned to living under a dictatorship, this would not prevent it from receiving foreign investments. He also suggested the payment of bonuses to employees during the electoral period, which could constitute vote buying.
Edited by: Rodrigo Durão Coelho
