The Federal Court of the Federal District confirmed, on Wednesday night (22), the arrest of pastors suspected of involvement in a corruption scheme in the Ministry of Education during the administration of former minister Milton Ribeiro.
In addition to Milton Ribeiro, pastors Gilmar Santos and Arilton Moura, lawyer and former advisor to the MEC Luciano de Freitas Musse and former advisor to the Municipality of Goiânia Helder Bartolomeu were arrested, according to the Federal Justice’s office in the Federal District.
The five will be heard in custody hearing this Thursday (23). The case is under secrecy in court.
Ribeiro will be heard in São Paulo, by videoconference, at 2 pm. Initially, the hearing would take place in Brasília, but the Court decided to hold it remotely. The reason was not disclosed due to the confidential nature of the process.
Pastor Arilton will be heard from Pará, where he is, also by videoconference. Bartolomeu, Musse and Pastor Gilmar will have their custody hearings held in the Federal District, also at 2 pm.
THE CNN found that Milton Ribeiro’s defense prepares a habeas corpus. The order must be based on at least three points. The defense must argue that the former minister was at liberty and that there was no reason to order his arrest, since, in his opinion, there is no contemporaneity.
In addition, according to the investigation, the lawyers must allege that there is no reason and danger to the point of imposing early arrest because there is no risk to witnesses or public order.
The defense must also maintain that since, in its assessment, there is no new fact that would justify the arrest, any other alternative measure would be sufficient.
Source: CNN Brasil
