Head of Military Police Elite Squad Arrested in Rio with 21 Other Officers

09/16/2014 - 09h21

Security forces in Rio arrested on Monday (15) morning 22 military police officers accused of collecting bribes from business owners and drivers from van cooperatives and cargo carriers in the west end of the city.

Among those arrested are the head of the Military Police's Special Operations Command (COE), Colonel Alexandre Fontenelle Ribeiro de Oliveira, and the deputy commander of the 3rd Battalion of Méier, Major Carlos Alexandre de Jesus.

Oliveira is considered the third man in the hierarchy of the Military Police. He was arrested at his home in the southern neighborhood of Leme. Before heading the COE, he commanded the Bangu Battalion. Now, he has been found out during the investigation as the boss of the gang.

Besides Oliveira and Jesus, another three officials were arrested on charges of involvement in the crime. US$ 129,500 in cash was seized at the home of Major Edson Alexandre Pinto de Goes.

In a statement, the prosecutor said that for two years, from 2012 to 2013, the suspects committed crimes (extortion committed by a public servant) in the west of the city.

"The gang demanded bribes that varied from US$ 13 to US$ 1,173 and were charged daily, weekly or monthly, with the guarantee that they would not prosecute the criminal actions of motorcycle taxi drivers, drivers of unauthorized vans and kombis, undocumented cargo transport or the sale of pirated products in popular trade in Bangu," said the official statement.

According to prosecutors, the allegations were based on witness statements, documents and telephone conversations intercepted by judicial authorization that comprise more than 20 volumes of inquiry.

"The 14th Bangu Battalion turned into a true 'business desk,' where 'profits' came from the bribes collected by police teams, and most of the bribes were passed on to the officers who commanded the gang," the statement said.

The accused will respond at the 1st Criminal Court of Bangu for the crime of armed criminal association from the Military Penal Code. The sentence is from two to six years in prison. They may also have to respond for the crime of extortion.

Folha tried to locate the attorneys of the accused, but they were not found.

Translated by JILL LANGLOIS

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	Pablo Jacob/Agência O Globo
	Security forces in Rio arrested the head of the Military Police's Special Operations Command, Colonel Alexandre Fontenelle