Flordelis dos Santos de Souza, a former Brazilian lawmaker suspected of planning her husband’s death in June 2019, was detained on Friday night after her parliamentary immunity was revoked.
Flordelis, as she is called in Brazil, was charged with the murder of her husband, pastor Anderson do Carmo, a year ago, along with ten accused co-conspirators. He was shot 30 times in the garage of their residence.
Her position as a federal deputy representing the state of Rio de Janeiro, on the other hand, had protected her from prosecution.
Brazil’s lower house voted to remove her from office on Wednesday. At the request of state prosecutors, a court-ordered her to be detained shortly after.
Anderson Rollemberg, Flordelis’ lawyer, slammed the arrest and promised to file an appeal on Monday morning. ‘Totally arbitrary.’ he wrote in a WhatsApp message. ‘She went to all the hearings and she was wearing an ankle bracelet.’
The case has piqued Brazil’s interest for a variety of reasons, including the defendant’s odd profile. Flordelis, a former evangelical preacher and singer, rose to prominence after adopting scores of orphaned children, some of whom later accused her of leading a cult.
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In a state where strong organised crime organisations and evangelical power brokers have formed tight ties in recent years, the violent murder of her husband struck a chord.
Carmo’s murder, according to police, occurred during a power struggle among the vast family. Flordelis was escorted from her home into a police car by Rio de Janeiro police on Friday evening, clutching a Bible.
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