The Brazilian Federal Public Ministry (MPF) has on Friday, September 13, filed charges against former police chief Rivaldo Barbosa, delegate Giniton Lages, and police commissioner Marco Antonio de Barros Pinto, also known as Marquinho DH, for their alleged roles in obstructing justice in the assassination case of councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes, in March 2018. This denouncement was submitted to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) by Deputy Attorney General Hindenburgo Chateaubriand as part of an ongoing investigation regarding possible complicity of these officials in hindering the progress of the case.

According to the MPF's statement, Rivaldo Barbosa, who previously headed the Homicide Division of the Civil Police of Rio, allegedly led a criminal organization within the department that exploited a climate of 'merchandising homicides' present in the state. The document asserts that this group, consisting of Barbosa, Lages, Pinto, and other unidentified accomplices, maintained systematic operations to obstruct the investigation into Franco's and Gomes’s murder, which remain unsolved despite widespread public outrage and scrutiny.

The assassination of Marielle Franco has become a significant symbol of the struggle against political violence and systemic injustice in Brazil. The charges brought against these former police officials place a spotlight on the persistent issues of corruption and mismanagement within law enforcement, highlighting the need for accountability and justice for victims of political murders. The case not only impacts the families of the victims but also resonates through Brazilian society, prompting discussions about the protection of human rights and the integrity of the justice system.