The Attorney General's Office requested Witzel's arrest, but the Superior Court of Justice denied it.

The Attorney General's Office (PGR) has identified serious crimes involving suspended Rio de Janeiro governor Wilson Witzel (PSC) and requested his pre-trial detention from the Superior Court of Justice (STJ). Justice Benedito Gonçalves, however, only authorized Witzel's suspension for 180 days and ordered precautionary measures, including a ban on contact with those under investigation and entry into Rio de Janeiro state government facilities.

In its request, the Attorney General's Office argued that Witzel's conduct is "completely incompatible with the behavior expected of a political agent holding such a prominent position in our democracy, especially in situations of extreme suffering for society such as the COVID-19 pandemic." The Attorney General's Office continued: "Not even the social chaos generated by the aforementioned virus was enough to stop the criminal zeal of the governor and the criminal organization he leads."