A judge of the Federal Supreme Court of Brazil on Monday (April 27th) ordered an investigation into the accusations of"Interference" in court cases against President Jair Bolsonaro, raised by his former justice minister, Sergio Moro. Such an investigation could open the way either to dismissal proceedings against Mr. Bolsonaro, or to proceedings for denouncing an imaginary crime against Mr. Moro.
In his decision obtained by Agence France-Presse, judge Celso de Mello gave the federal police sixty days to question Mr. Moro, anti-corruption champion, who resigned on Friday. Moro, popular minister with a public opinion sickened by the corruption of the political power, had slammed the door after the dismissal of one of his men of confidence, the chief of the federal police Mauricio Valeixo.
Seven offenses
According to de Mello J., the alleged offenses of the President appear to have "A close link with the exercise of presidential functions", which excludes him from claiming immunity. The Federal Supreme Court’s decision lists seven offenses that Mr. Bolsonaro may have committed, including prevarication and obstruction of justice.
After his resignation, Moro had shown an exchange on WhatsApp messaging on television where the head of state appeared to be pressuring him to change the head of the federal police. Brazilian media have reported that the former judge retained screenshots of messages that could incriminate the head of state.
If the prosecution were to find evidence accusing Mr. Bolsonaro, it would be up to the Chamber of Deputies to authorize the Federal Supreme Court to open a formal investigation. And if this formal investigation were to confirm the suspicions, Congress would have to rule on the opening of a dismissal procedure.
Bolsonaro is going through a rough patch: the coronavirus epidemic has slowed the economy and created tensions with state authorities concerned with protecting their people, while minimizing the epidemic.
