MILITARY officers in Brazil were hauled in front of a top court on Tuesday accused of helping the far-right former president mount a coup.

Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid arrived at Brazil’s Supreme Court in Brasilia on Tuesday to testify against his one-time ally, former defence minister General Walter Braga Netto, over his involvement in an alleged attempt by former president Jair Bolsonaro to stage a coup to stay in power after losing an election.

Colonel Cid, a former aide-de-camp to Mr Bolsonaro, has signed a plea bargain to co-operate with authorities and has already testified that General Braga Netto took part in a meeting in November 2022 during which officers discussed plans to stop current President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva from taking office.

General Braga Netto is a close ally of Mr Bolsonaro who also served as the former president’s chief of staff and his 2022 running mate.

The officers are standing trial alongside Mr Bolsonaro, several other officers, and a few civilians. 

They face charges including attempting to stage a coup and involvement in an armed criminal organisation.

Colonel Cid says that after Mr Bolsonaro lost to Lula, he was called to General Braga Netto’s office and handed a bag of cash to distribute to Bolsonaro supporters. 

General Braga Netto denies the account and calls Colonel Cid a traitor.

The two were summoned to the Supreme Court on Tuesday for a confrontation, a step in Brazilian legal procedure in which the judge and both parties can interrogate witnesses about discrepancies in their testimony.

The examination took place behind closed doors by order of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.

Brazilian law allows closed court hearings when matters of national security are involved.

A source at the Supreme Court who observed the testimony told reporters that both sides mostly stuck to their contradictory versions of events.