Brazil: Supreme Court’s Moraes orders blocking of accounts of people suspected of funding peaceful protests

By Lucas Mendes

Minister Alexandre de Moraes of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) ordered the blocking of the bank accounts of 43 people and companies suspected of funding peaceful protests against the results of the presidential elections.

“Thus, it is necessary, appropriate, and urgent to block the bank accounts of those investigated, given the possibility of using resources to finance illicit and undemocratic acts, to stop the injury or threat to law,” said the minister.

The decision was taken on Saturday (Nov. 12) and is confidential.

Poder360 had access to the document.

Read the full text (179 KB, in Brazilian Portuguese).

Moraes ordered the BC (Central Bank) to immediately block the accounts of the following individuals and legal entities:

• Agritex Comercial Agricola Ltda;
• Agrosyn Comercio E Rep. Of Agricultural Inputs;
• Airton Willers;
• Alexandro Lermen;
• Argino Bedin;
• Arraia Transportes Ltda;
• Assis Claudio Tirloni;
• Banco Rodobens S.A;
• Berrante De Ouro Transportes Ltda;
• Cairo Garcia Pereira;
• Carrocerias Nova Prata Ltda;
• Castro Mendes Agricultural Pieces Factory;
• Ceramica Nova Bela Vista Ltda;
• Command Diesel Transp E Logistica Ltda;
• Dalila Lermen Eireli;
• Diomar Pedrassani;
• Drelafe Transportes De Carga Ltda;
• Edilson Antonio Piaia;
• Fermap Transportes Ltda;
• Fuhr Transport Eireli;
• Gape Servicos De Transportes Ltda;
• JR Novello;
• Kadre Concrete Artifacts And Construction;
• Knc Materials De Construcao Ltda;
• Leonardo Antonio Navarini & Cia Ltda;
• Llg Transportadora Ltda;
• M R Rodo Iguacu Transportes Eireli;
• Muriana Transportes Ltda;
• Mz Transportes De Cargas Ltda;
• P A Rezende E Cia Ltda;
• Potrich Transportes – Ltd.;
• Rafael Bedin;
• Roberta Bedin;
• Sergio Bedin;
• Sinar Costa Beber;
• Sipal Industria E Comercio Ltda;
• Tirloni E Tirloni Ltda-Me;
• Transportadora Adrij Ltda Me;
• Transportadora Chico Ltda;
• Transportadora Lermen Ltda – Epp;
• Transportadora Rovaris Ltda;
• Trr Rio Bonito T. R. R. Petr. Ltd;
• Vape Transport Ltd.

Moraes also determined that the PF (Federal Police) take statements from the people and representatives of the companies involved within 10 days.

As of October 30, supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) have paralyzed roads across Brazil. The number of blocks has dropped in the last 15 days.

Protesters also gathered in front of the Armed Forces barracks.

The protests have been forming since October 30 and have now lasted for 17 days. Millions of people in hundreds of cities are protesting against the election results, which are considered fraudulent by the broad masses.

The protesters are demanding a recount and the intervention of the military.

According to Moraes, there is “repeated abuse of the right to assemble” in the case of the demonstrations, with the aim of “spreading non-compliance and disrespect for the result of the election for President and Vice-President of the Republic, whose result was proclaimed by the Superior Electoral Court on Nov. 30, with the consequent rupture of the Democratic Rule of Law and the installation of an exception regime.”

“Effectively, the inauthentic and coordinated displacement of trucks to Brasília/DF, for an illicit meeting on the outskirts of the Army Headquarters, to break the constitutional order – including requests for “federal intervention”, through an absurd interpretation of art. 142 of the Federal Constitution – may constitute the crime of Violent Abolition of the Democratic State of Law (art. 359-L of the Penal Code).”

Moraes said that information provided to the STF by the PRF (Federal Highway Police) indicates that businessmen would be financing the acts, with the provision of a complete structure (meals, bathrooms, tents) “to maintain the abuse of the right to assemble, in addition to providing various trucks to reinforce the criminal demonstration.”

“The harmful potential of illicit manifestations is absolutely potentiated considering the financial condition of the businessmen identified as involved in the facts.”

“Behold, they have large amounts of money, as natural persons, and command large companies, which have thousands of employees, subject to the work policies implemented by them,” he declared.

“This scenario, therefore, requires an absolutely proportional reaction from the State, in the sense of guaranteeing the preservation of fundamental rights and guarantees and avoiding possible economic influence in the propagation of anti-democratic ideals and actions.”

In Brasilia, caravans of Bolsonaro supporters gathered throughout Monday (Nov. 14) in front of the Army Headquarters in protest of the election result.

The camp, installed in the Urban Military Sector on Nov. 1, received protesters from other parts of the country over the weekend.

Posters at the site contested the smoothness of the electoral process and asked the Armed Forces for “help.”

CLEARING

On Nov. 11, Moraes extended to the entire national territory to unblock roads obstructed by protests against the outcome of the elections.

The order also included movement participants who were in “inappropriate locations on public roads or in the vicinity of public buildings.”

Moraes ordered the police to prevent the occupation of “sideways, sidewalks, public places” and ordered the dismantling of active concentration points in these places.

The minister ordered the identification of all vehicles in the movement and the imposition of a fine of R$100,000 (US$18,000) per hour to the owners, companies, and people that provide material support (logistic and financial) to the protesters.

INVESTIGATIONS

In a meeting with Moraes at the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) headquarters on Nov. 8, the Prosecutor General of São Paulo, Santa Catarina, and Espírito Santo said that there are indications of organization and financing by businessmen to obstruct roads across the country.

The investigations of the MPs (Public Ministries) should target the financial flow used to organize the blockades, with the identification of the financiers and leaders of the acts.

“There is an organized movement of funding, which started with the roads and then, with the reaction of State forces, they [protestors] moved and went to the front of barracks,” said the Prosecutor General of Justice of São Paulo, Mario Luiz Sarrubbo.

“In our view, there is a large criminal organization, with defined functions, financiers, collectors. There are several messages with a pix number so that more people can supply financially,” said the Prosecutor General of Justice of São Paulo.

With information from Poder360