The Attorney General's Office calls Ramagem and Heleno's proposal against the Supreme Court's decisions 'bizarre' and 'outlandish'

The Attorney General's Office (PGR) called "bizarre" and "outlandish" a suggestion made by the former director-general of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) Alexandre Ramagem and General Augusto Heleno to supposedly release the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) from complying with Judiciary decisions.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, the strategy would serve to nullify decisions by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) that went against Bolsonaro's interests.

In a memo sent to Bolsonaro, Ramagem proposed that the president contact the Attorney General's Office (AGU) to prepare technical opinions that, in theory, would release the federal government from complying with court decisions. According to Ramagem, the opinions would support "non-compliance" with court decisions that were "contrary to the law." A similar thesis was found in a document in Augusto Heleno's possession.

“The idea that a legal opinion from the Attorney General's Office (AGU) could override decisions of the Supreme Court lacks any constitutional or legal basis, constituting a subversion of the legal order,” the PGR stated in its closing arguments against the “crucial core” of the criminal action for attempted coup d'état.

"Such guidelines reveal not only contempt for the principle of separation of powers, but also a concrete attempt to create a pseudo-legal basis for institutional disobedience, anticipating the rupture thesis that would be mobilized in 2022," said the report signed by Attorney General Paulo Gonet. Elsewhere in the report, the Attorney General's Office called the solution devised by Ramagem and Heleno "outlandish" and "bizarre."

In testimony before the Supreme Federal Court, both Ramagem and Heleno confirmed the content of the thesis. Ramagem claimed that these were merely "consultations" with the AGU, while Heleno asserted that Bolsonaro needed "means" to act against decisions that were "impeding a series of government actions."

During the Bolsonaro government, Alexandre Ramagem was director-general of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) and Augusto Heleno, head of the Institutional Security Office (GSI).

According to the Attorney General's Office, Ramagem "prepared the narrative disseminated" by Bolsonaro about electronic voting fraud and commanded "illegal espionage based on the then-president's private interests," "a flagrant misuse of the Brazilian intelligence structure." The Attorney General's Office is seeking Ramagem's conviction for armed criminal organization, attempted abolition of the rule of law, and a coup d'état.

According to the Attorney General's Office, Heleno also participated in the preparations for the electoral fraud narrative. Paulo Gonet requested that Heleno be convicted of armed criminal organization, abolition of the rule of law, coup d'état, qualified damage, and damage to a listed building.