Sentenced by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) to 16 years in prison for crimes linked to the coup attempt, federal deputy Alexandre Ramagem (PL-RJ) has already cost the public coffers at least R$532,000 since he left Brazil in September to go to the United States.
The value is the sum of gross salaries, employees’ office budget and parliamentary quota for the months of September, October and November.
On the orders of the STF, the Chamber of Deputies suspended the MP’s salary and parliamentary quotient in December. The office structure, at least until November, costs more than R$100,000 per month, according to the institution’s website.
From January to November this year, Ramagem spent 1.4 million reais in ministerial funds, equivalent to 98.6% of the total available to parliamentarians during the year, according to Chamber data. Of these, R$399.3 thousand comes from September.
The cabinet budget funds up to 25 parliamentary secretaries, with salaries of up to R$18,700. Currently, Ramagem has 17 councilors, according to the Chamber’s website.
In addition, expenses related to the parliamentary quota amounted to R$ 328.7 thousand, mainly for vehicle rental (33.2%) and publicity of parliamentary activities (28.69%). Of this total, R$36,000 was paid starting in September.
Ramagem also received his full salary for September and October, a total of R$46,366.19 per month. In November there was a partial payment of R$4,100.
According to the Director General of the Federal Police (PF), Andrei Rodrigues, Ramagem left the country illegally, via the border with Guyana, and used a diplomatic passport to enter the United States, where he fled.
He allegedly flew to Boa Vista, in Roraima, from where he left by car for an clandestine trip to the border.
“The route seems very clear, via Guyana, leaving Brazil clandestinely, without going through any checkpoint,” indicated the director general of the PF.
In November, Minister Alexandre de Moraes decreed the preventive detention of the parliamentarian and the revocation of his mandate by the Chamber. On Monday 15/12, he requested his extradition to the United States.
The MP presented to the House in September a 30-day health care certificate, renewed on October 13. The sick leave is valid until December 12. Despite this, he participated in the remote vote.
The Chamber indicated that it had not been informed of the parliamentarian’s departure from the national territory and that it had not authorized any official mission abroad.
In a note to the BBC, the Chamber said that the payment of salary and the use of the parliamentary quota by the MP are dealt with in a judicial decision subject to judicial secrecy.
Ramagem did not respond to the journalist’s request for clarification sent to his office. Space remains available.
Sentence to the STF
Ramagem was one of eight defendants convicted in September by the STF’s first panel for the following crimes: criminal organization, violent abolition of the democratic rule of law and coup d’état.
According to the PGR, he allegedly used the structure of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin), of which he was director, to promote coup plans — by ordering a “parallel Abin” that would monitor opponents and critics of the Bolsonaro government, in addition to producing false information and virtual attacks.
In addition, Ramagem allegedly provided Jair Bolsonaro with materials to support the attack on electronic voting machines and the intervention of the armed forces.
The parliamentarian was the only defendant in the trial to be charged and convicted of three crimes, not five.
As he is a federal deputy (PL-RJ), he did not respond to accusations of damage to Union property and damage to classified property, both linked to the attacks of January 8.
Indeed, the first college of the STF decided to suspend them due to their parliamentary immunity during their mandate – since, according to the prosecution, these crimes would have occurred after Ramagem took office.
In its final submissions at the trial, the MP’s defense requested his acquittal.
“Alexandre Ramagem cannot be held responsible for any act carried out within the framework of Abin during his management, based on the simple fact that he was the general director of the organization, unless a possible liability of guilt is recognized,” declared the defense.
The journey of Alexandre Ramagem
Alexandre Ramagem was director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) between 2019 and 2022, under the government of Jair Bolsonaro.
Before entering politics, he was a delegate of the Federal Police. At the PF, he was responsible for the Human Resources Administration (2013 and 2014) and Studies, Legislation and Opinions (2016 and 2017) divisions.
He was also part of the Lava Jato investigation team in Rio de Janeiro in 2017.
Ramagem grew closer to Bolsonaro when he was named head of the former president’s security team, then a presidential candidate, after he suffered a stabbing during the 2018 election campaign.
With Bolsonaro’s inauguration, Ramagem was called into government, after first serving as special advisor to the Government Secretariat, when the department was commanded by General Carlos Alberto Santos Cruz.
In June 2019, he left this position to take over as director of Abin.
In April 2020, Bolsonaro attempted to appoint Ramagem as director of the federal police, but the measure was blocked by the STF, following a decision by Moraes.
The STF minister accepted the PDT’s request, which claimed that the friendship between Bolsonaro and Ramagem compromised “the constitutional principles of impersonality, morality and public interest”, necessary to appoint the director of the PF.
At the time, a photo was circulating of Ramagem alongside the president’s children at a New Year’s party, at the turn of 2018 and 2019.
In 2022, Abin’s director left his position to run as federal deputy for Rio de Janeiro, elected with 59,170 votes.
In 2024, he ran for mayor of Rio de Janeiro, but was unsuccessful in the elections.
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