[WSMDiscuss] Brazil's top court orders probe into accusations against Bolsonaro (al-Jazeera)

[Jai Sen]

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

[An update on the situation in Brazil…. I think that this is called ‘brazening it out’ ? :

Despite outcry, Brazil’s Bolsonaro taps family friend as head of federal police

Ricardo Brito and Lisandra Paraguassu, Reuters

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-brazils-bolsonaro-taps-family-friend-as-head-of-federal-police-amid/ <https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-brazils-bolsonaro-taps-family-friend-as-head-of-federal-police-amid/>

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday named a family friend to head the federal police, days after his justice minister quit and accused the President of meddling in law enforcement, triggering talk of impeachment and a criminal investigation approved by the Supreme Court.

The government’s official gazette confirmed the appointment of new federal police chief Alexandre Ramagem, 48, who took charge of the President’s security after he was stabbed on the campaign trail in 2018. The selection comes amid investigations of alleged wrongdoing by Mr. Bolsonaro’s sons.

Mr. Ramagem, who joined the federal police in 2005, has the fewest years of service of any officer tapped to lead the force. He ran the Brazilian Intelligence Agency since July.

On Friday, then-justice minister Sergio Moro alleged in a stunning televised address that Mr. Bolsonaro had repeatedly said he wanted a “personal contact” in the top police job “from whom he could get information, intelligence reports.”

Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday gave the green light for the top public prosecutor to investigate the allegations against Mr. Bolsonaro of interfering in law enforcement. Justice Celso de Mello gave the federal police 60 days to carry out the investigation requested by Brazil’s chief public prosecutor Augusto Aras.

Based on the results of the police investigation, the public prosecutor will decide whether to press charges against the president. An indictment would have to be approved by the lower house.

On Tuesday, the opposition Democratic Labor Party asked the Supreme Court to block Mr. Ramagem’s nomination, alleging an abuse of power.

The affair has sparked talk in Congress of impeachment, just four years after such proceedings toppled former president Dilma Rousseff.

However, a poll by Datafolha published on Monday evening showed Brazilians divided on impeachment, with 45 per cent supporting the move and 48 per cent against.

Crucially, Mr. Bolsonaro appears to be keeping core supporters, the poll showed, with 33 per cent of those surveyed saying they thought he was doing a good or excellent job.

POLITICAL INTERFERENCE

Still, the accusations from the popular “super minister,” Mr. Moro, who locked up scores of powerful politicians and businessmen as a judge, has dented Mr. Bolsonaro’s corruption-fighting image, which was central to his 2018 campaign.

Mr. Moro said he had never seen political interference of the kind sought by Mr. Bolsonaro over Brazil’s federal police, even under previous governments whose officials and allies were convicted of participating in sweeping corruption schemes.

A New Year’s party photo on social media of Mr. Ramagem grinning beside the president’s son Carlos Bolsonaro, a Rio de Janeiro city councillor, circulated widely on Tuesday, emphasizing the close ties between the family and the new top cop.

Carlos Bolsonaro is the subject of a Supreme Court probe looking at his role in disseminating “fake news,” according to newspaper Folha de S. Paulo. His brother, lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, was accused in a congressional investigation of participating in a “fake news” scheme.

Their eldest brother, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, is also being investigated by state prosecutors in Rio de Janeiro over alleged money laundering and misuse of public funds.

All three have denied any wrongdoing. They and the President have decried the probes as politically motivated attacks.

Over the weekend, Mr. Bolsonaro took to Facebook to defend Mr. Ramagem, after word of his nomination leaked to the press.

“So what? I knew Ramagem before he knew my children. Should he be vetoed for that reason? Whose friend should I pick?” the president said in a post.


> On Apr 29, 2020, at 1:19 PM, Jai Sen <jai.sen at cacim.net> wrote:
> 
> Wednesday, April 29, 2020
> 
> Viruses in movement…, Brazil in movement…
> 
> [Things are continuing to dramatically unfold – and unravel – in Brazil…. Further to earlier recent posts [‘Brazil’s ‘Operational President’ General Braga Netto unveils his ‘Marshall Plan’, April 26), and ‘Brazilian government in turmoil after justice minister resigns’ (April 25)] :
> 
> Brazil's top court orders probe into accusations against Bolsonaro
> 
> Judge authorises probe into allegations made by ex-justice minister that the president tried to interfere with policing
> 
> al-Jazeera
> 
> https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-top-court-orders-probe-accusations-bolsonaro-200428053049871.html <https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-top-court-orders-probe-accusations-bolsonaro-200428053049871.html>
> 
> Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered an investigation into accusations that President Jair Bolsonaro sought to "interfere" with police investigations for political gain. 
> 
> In his decision on Monday, Justice Celso de Mello gave the federal police 60 days to question former Justice and Public Security Minister Sergio Moro, whose resignation last week pitched the administration into turmoil, about his explosive allegations.
> 
> More:
> 
> Brazil justice minister resigns, accuses Bolsonaro of meddling <https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-justice-minister-resigns-accuses-bolsonaro-meddling-200424150001388.html?utm_source=website&utm_medium=article_page&utm_campaign=read_more_links>
> Brazil reports highest daily death toll since start of pandemic <https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazil-reports-highest-daily-death-toll-start-pandemic-200424003712321.html?utm_source=website&utm_medium=article_page&utm_campaign=read_more_links>
> Brazilian President Bolsonaro defends firing of health minister <https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/brazilian-president-bolsonaro-defends-firing-health-minister-200418125709667.html?utm_source=website&utm_medium=article_page&utm_campaign=read_more_links>
> The findings, which will be handed over to the attorney general, could result in either a request for a political trial against Bolsonaro or an indictment against Moro for false testimony.
> 
> According to the judge, "the crimes allegedly practised by the president of the republic" seem to have "an intimate connection with the exercise of the presidential mandate", which allows for an investigation of Bolsonaro.
> 
> Moro, a former anti-corruption judge, resigned on Friday after clashing with Bolsonaro over the sacking of the federal police chief.
> 
> During Moro's announcement of his resignation on April 24, he said Bolsonaro had told him on multiple occasions that he wanted to replace the head of the federal police with someone who could facilitate access to investigations and intelligence reports.
> 
> He hit out at "political interference" with the federal police, saying he could not do his job without "autonomy" for the force.
> 
> The Supreme Court judge's document, obtained by AFP news agency and reported by local media, lists seven accusations against Bolsonaro, including malfeasance and obstruction of justice.
> 
> Divided opinion
> 
> Last week, Brazil's Prosecutor General Augusto Aras asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation into the allegations made by Moro, who made a name for himself as the top judge in the anti-corruption investigation known as "Car Wash".
> 
> Moro quit after Bolsonaro removed the federal police's director general.
> 
> Bolsonaro claimed the former official had resigned of his own accord, which Moro said was untrue and also that he had not signed off on any resignation.
> 
> Should the investigation confirm the accusations, it will be up to the Brazilian Congress to initiate an impeachment process against Bolsonaro and potentially remove him from office.
> 
> A poll published on Monday night shows divided opinions about Bolsonaro's future, with 45 percent of Brazilians saying Congress should open an impeachment process against the right-wing leader.
> 
> In comparison, 48 percent think Bolsonaro should not be impeached, according to the Datafolha poll. 
> 
> The tensions come at the height of the global health crisis over the coronavirus.
> 
> Last week, Bolsonaro fired his Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who supported isolation as a tool to contain the spread of the pandemic. Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the danger of COVID-19.
> 
> As of Tuesday, Brazil reported more than 67,000 confirmed coronavirus cases with at least 4,600 deaths.
> 
> SOURCE: News agencies
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ____________________________
> 
> Jai Sen
> 
> Independent researcher, editor; Senior Fellow at the School of International Development and Globalisation Studies at the University of Ottawa
> 
> jai.sen at cacim.net <mailto:jai.sen at cacim.net>
> Now based in New Delhi, India (+91-98189 11325) and in Ottawa, Canada, on unceded and unsurrendered Anishinaabe territory (+1-613-282 2900) 
> 
> CURRENT / RECENT publications :
> 
> Jai Sen, ed, 2018a – The Movements of Movements, Part 2 : Rethinking Our Dance. Ebook and hard copy available at PM Press <http://www.pmpress.org/>
> Jai Sen, ed, 2018b – The Movements of Movements, Part 1 : What Makes Us Move ? (Indian edition). New Delhi : AuthorsUpfront, in collaboration with OpenWord and PM Press.  Hard copy available at MOM1AmazonIN <https://www.amazon.in/dp/9387280101/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522884070&sr=8-2&keywords=movements+of+movements+jai+sen>, MOM1Flipkart <https://www.flipkart.com/the-movements-of-movements/p/itmf3zg7h79ecpgj?pid=9789387280106&lid=LSTBOK9789387280106NBA1CH&marketplace=FLIPKART&srno=s_1_1&otracker=search&fm=SEARCH&iid=ff35b702-e6a8-4423-b014-16c84f6f0092.9789387280106.SEARCH&ppt=Search%20Page>, and MOM1AUpFront <http://www.authorsupfront.com/movements.htm>
> Jai Sen, ed, 2017 – The Movements of Movements, Part 1 : What Makes Us Move ?.  New Delhi : OpenWord and Oakland, CA : PM Press.  Ebook and hard copy available at PM Press <http://www.pmpress.org/>
> 
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____________________________

Jai Sen

Independent researcher, editor; Senior Fellow at the School of International Development and Globalisation Studies at the University of Ottawa

jai.sen at cacim.net <mailto:jai.sen at cacim.net>
Now based in New Delhi, India (+91-98189 11325) and in Ottawa, Canada, on unceded and unsurrendered Anishinaabe territory (+1-613-282 2900) 

CURRENT / RECENT publications :

Jai Sen, ed, 2018a – The Movements of Movements, Part 2 : Rethinking Our Dance. Ebook and hard copy available at PM Press <http://www.pmpress.org/>
Jai Sen, ed, 2018b – The Movements of Movements, Part 1 : What Makes Us Move ? (Indian edition). New Delhi : AuthorsUpfront, in collaboration with OpenWord and PM Press.  Hard copy available at MOM1AmazonIN <https://www.amazon.in/dp/9387280101/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522884070&sr=8-2&keywords=movements+of+movements+jai+sen>, MOM1Flipkart <https://www.flipkart.com/the-movements-of-movements/p/itmf3zg7h79ecpgj?pid=9789387280106&lid=LSTBOK9789387280106NBA1CH&marketplace=FLIPKART&srno=s_1_1&otracker=search&fm=SEARCH&iid=ff35b702-e6a8-4423-b014-16c84f6f0092.9789387280106.SEARCH&ppt=Search%20Page>, and MOM1AUpFront <http://www.authorsupfront.com/movements.htm>
Jai Sen, ed, 2017 – The Movements of Movements, Part 1 : What Makes Us Move ?.  New Delhi : OpenWord and Oakland, CA : PM Press.  Ebook and hard copy available at PM Press <http://www.pmpress.org/>
SUBSCRIBE TO World Social Movement Discuss, an open, unmoderated, and self-organising forum on social and political movement at any level (local, national, regional, and global).  To subscribe, simply send an empty email to wsm-discuss-subscribe at lists.openspaceforum.net <mailto:wsm-discuss-subscribe at lists.openspaceforum.net>
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