Moraes reopens investigation against Bolsonaro over alleged interference in the PF

Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), authorized this Thursday the resumption of investigations into alleged interference by former president Jair Bolsonaro in the Federal Police (PF), in response to a request from the Attorney General’s Office (PGR). The decision comes within the scope of the investigation that investigates whether Bolsonaro used the State structure to obtain privileged information and influence investigations involving allies and family members.

In the order, Moraes granted the PGR’s request to carry out additional investigations, after the body reconsidered the archiving request made in 2022. The new statement, signed by Attorney General Paulo Gonet, points out that there are elements that justify deepening the investigation, especially in light of dialogues between Bolsonaro and the then Minister of Justice, Sergio Moro.

According to the PGR, there is evidence that the change in command of the PF and the requests for changes in the superintendencies of Rio de Janeiro and Pernambuco were intended to allow access to confidential information and influence sensitive investigations. In messages sent to Moro, Bolsonaro reportedly stated: “Moro, Valeixo leaves this week”, “This has been decided”, and “You can just say the form”. In another section, he shared a report about investigations against Bolsonaro deputies, saying: “Another reason for the exchange”.

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The analysis is carried out in the virtual plenary session until the following Friday, the 24th, if there is no request for viewing or highlighting.

In June, the PF pointed out Bolsonaro’s participation in an illegal espionage scheme at Abin. The former president was not indicted, however, because he was already responsible for the crime of criminal organization in the coup plot process, for which he was convicted in the STF last month. Now, it is up to the PGR to decide whether to denounce Bolsonaro and the 36 accused in the case.

The case began after GLOBO revealed, in March 2023, the purchase of a spy system by the agency to monitor the location of pre-determined targets across the country.

The investigation into possible interference in the PF was opened in April 2020, after Moro accused Bolsonaro of trying to interfere in the PF. The PGR then asked for the opening of an investigation to investigate the two: Bolsonaro, for possible interference, and Moro for a possible slanderous accusation, if the accusation was not true.

In March 2022, the PF closed the investigation and concluded that there was no crime on the part of either of them. In September of the same year, the then deputy attorney general of the Republic, Lindôra Araújo, requested the archiving. Lindôra was number two to Augusto Aras, appointed by Bolsonaro to the PGR.

“Considering the circumstances that permeate the case, based on the careful analysis of the arsenal of evidence contained in the case file, there is no way to attribute to the President of the Republic Jair Messias Bolsonaro and the former Minister of State for Justice and Public Security Sergio Fernando Moro the commission of acts with criminal repercussions”, claimed the deputy prosecutor.

Now, however, Paulo Gonet considers it necessary to resume investigations. The attorney general stated that it is possible to extract from Moro’s statements at the time that the change in the general management of the PF, demanded by Bolsonaro, “possibly had the real motivation to obtain privileged information about confidential investigations and the possibility of interference in the investigative work involving the Head of the Federal Executive Branch, his family members and political allies”.

“It is essential, therefore, to verify more thoroughly whether there was actually interference or attempted interference in the investigations highlighted in the dialogues and in the former Minister’s testimony, through the use of the State structure and the clandestine obtaining of sensitive data”, argued Gonet.