16 The Civil Police of the State of Rio Grande do Norte initiated the investigation, and after the fifth or sixth day, the Federal Police took up the case. The police held command and control of the investigation, but the Office of the Public Prosecutor took part in investigations throughout the process, and monitors from the Bar Association of Brazil observed the proceedings. The case file of the investigation contains a report from the intelligence section of the Federal Police of the State of Pernambuco claiming that the homicide was committed by police, but presenting no evidence. According to the witness, the death squads are a constant presence in his country and conduct so-called “social cleansing,” acting as judges and prosecutors and investigating, executing and trying people who have a criminal background. 2. Witnesses brought by the State a) Gilson José Ribeiro Campos, who at the time of the murder of Gilson Nogueira de Carvalho was Director of the Human Rights Division of the Federal Police. Currently Special Chief of the Federal Police. The Governor of the State of Rio Grande do Norte asked the Secretary of Justice to assign a federal authority to investigate the case. The investigation began on October 20, 1996 with a large number of officers who worked extensively on the case; but they turned up insufficient evidence to identify the perpetrator of the homicide, and the investigation was dropped. Other State institutions also joined the investigation, either as observers or as active participants. A request to reopen the investigation can be filed by the police, the Office of the Public Prosecutor or the judicial authority if new, compelling information comes to light that may further clarify the facts. b) Henrique César Cavalcanti, who at the time of the murder of Gilson Nogueira de Carvalho was a prosecuting attorney in the Office of the Public Prosecutor He requested permission to reopen the investigation into the murder of Gilson Nogueira de Carvalho, as he understood that the case should be further examined based on information provided by Antônio Lopes, known as Carla, and forwarded to him by Fernando Batista Vasconcelos, then Human Rights Ombudsman in Natal. The information that Antônio Lopes claimed to have, however, had not been confirmed after the people he named gave their statements. Subsequently, on November 15, 1998, as part of another investigation, the Federal Police carried out an operation on the farm of Otávio Ernesto Moreira, a retired civil police officer, and seized several firearms, including a Remington 12-gauge shotgun. A ballistics test performed in the laboratory found that a cartridge collected on the day of the death of Gilson Nogueira de Carvalho matched the shotgun, thus providing concrete evidence as grounds to indict Otávio Ernesto Moreira. The police investigation was directed by the Federal Police and monitored by a commission of three judicial prosecutors. Representatives of the Brazilian Bar Association also took part as observers. All decisions in the judicial process were duly grounded and had the backing of the Office of the Public Prosecutor; no procedures were voided or nullified, nor was due