Brasilia: Brazil’s federal police have recommended criminal charges against former president Jair Bolsonaro after probing an alleged coup attempt following his 2022 election loss, the first time authorities have directly linked the right-winger to attempts to keep his successor from assuming power.

Police said charges were warranted against a total of 37 people, including high-ranking military members who served in Bolsonaro’s government, for plotting a coup and committing crimes against democracy.

The formal indictment came at the conclusion of an investigation into the US Capitol riot-style insurrection attempt that took place on January 8, 2023, when thousands of the former leader’s supporters stormed the country’s capital, taking over the Congress and the Supreme Court after Bolsonaro’s narrow loss to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the October 2022 election.

Authorities have also determined that Bolsonaro had full knowledge of a plot to assassinate Lula, vice president Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes after the election, CNN Brasil and other outlets reported, citing unidentified officials.

The recommendation will be sent to the prosecutor general’s office to decide whether to file charges, request additional information or close the case. It threatens to deepen Bolsonaro’s legal woes.

The former president told local news outlet Metropoles he needed to wait and see what information was included in the police filing, and that his real legal battle would begin at the prosecutor general’s office. He also renewed his criticism of Moraes, who he has accused of overstepping legal bounds. Bolsonaro has previously denied wrongdoing related to the riots.

Federal police previously recommended charges against Bolsonaro in another case involving the alleged illegal sale of gifts received from the governments of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Charges were also recommended against him in an inquiry into falsified vaccination records. The former president has also denied wrongdoing in those cases.

Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet intends to unite the three recommendations into a single complaint, according to a person familiar with the situation who requested anonymity to discuss internal matters. By combining the three investigations, the complaint would be stronger, the person said. There is no deadline for the complaint to be filed.