Brazil’s Supreme Court on Tuesday approved an investigation into accusations that President Jair Bolsonaro sought to interfere with police investigations for political gain.
Brazilian Attorney General José Levi do Amaral requested the investigation on Monday after the Brazilian Justice Minister Sérgio Moro publicly accused the president last Friday of improper conduct in the appointment of the Brazilian Federal Police chief before he resigned in protest. The former Minister of Justice is one of Brazil’s most prominent champions of the Brazilian anti-corruption movement. He famously ran the 2015 investigation known as Operation Car Wash (Operação Lava Jato), which indicted many prominent Brazilian government officials and business executives on corruption charges.
Moro’s allegations centered around Bolsonaro’s recent decision to replace the head of the Federal Police. Moro accused Bolsonaro of “political interference” in a Justice Ministry concern. Moro also stated, “The President said more than once that he wanted someone he could be in touch with personally, who he could call directly, who he could receive information from, intelligence reports.” He went on to add that the president also cited fears about the outcomes of upcoming supreme court cases as further justification for the transition.
Bolsonaro announced Tuesday that the current head of intelligence, as well as his former campaign security chief, will be filling the role of the chief of the Federal Police. Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court and the Attorney General’s office have yet to clarify the scope of or provide more details on the investigation into the allegations surrounding the appointment.
However, the investigation falls at a precarious moment for the country and the presidential administration. Recent polls suggest there has been a sharp rise in discontent with the president as a result of the recent allegations and his handling of the current public health crisis. With some groups even calling for his impeachment, there is growing speculation that if Moro’s claims are proven true, the investigation may lay the groundwork for an impeachment trial. There are also increasing concerns that Brazil may become another COVID-19 epicenter after several weeks of inaction by Bolsonaro led to an apparent failure to prepare for the outbreak properly.
