Brazil’s Federal Police Chief under suspicion

</p> <p>Over the weekend, Segovia gave an interview to Reuters commenting on a case involving Temer. The president is suspected of receiving bribes in exchange for signing a decree crafted to benefit companies operating in Brazilian ports. In January, a police report stated that the Feds should request a warrant to access Temer’s confidential bank and fiscal information, and also to monitor his phone. But in his Reuter’s interview, Segovia said that there was no sign of any wrongdoing by the president.</p> <p>Following the report’s publication, Supreme Court Justice Luís Roberto Barroso has ordered Segovia to explain himself: the police chief shouldn’t be commenting on ongoing investigations. Representing more than a simple <a href="https://g1.globo.com/politica/blog/valdo-cruz/post/2018/02/14/planalto-quer-segovia-mais-discreto-para-conter-pressoes-por-sua-saida.ghtml">imprudent</a> act, his words could constitute “improper behavior” and he risks being placed under investigation. Segovia and Barroso will meet next week.</p> <p>The statement also infuriated federal detectives, who want the National Association of Federal Investigators to push for Segovia’s firing. The move speaks volumes, given the fact that federal marshals tend to protect one another. A group of detectives working on Operation Car Wash, the massive investigation into corruption within the federal government, have also reminded the public that it this wasn’t the first questionable move committed by Segovia.</p> <h3>Controversies</h3> <p>Segovia took office as the Federal Police Chief in November. Within just three months, he has accumulated a series of controversies. The first preceded his inauguration, as <a href="https://brazilian.report/2017/11/09/federal-police-chief-segovia-brazil/">his name was vouched</a> for by the president’s Chief of Staff, Eliseu Padilha, and former President José Sarney – both of these men, of course, are regularly featured in corruption probes.</p> <p>Weeks into his new job, Segovia issued a statement similar to the one that recently got him into trouble. He commented on another investigation involving the president. Back in May, an <a href="https://soundcloud.com/plus55/listen-to-the-audio-that-could-spell-doom-to-brazils-president">audio recording went public</a> between Temer and businessman Joesley Batista, owner of the JBS meatpacking group. They discussed the payment of hush money to a former House Speaker involved in Operation Car Wash. Then, Temer said that Batista should “deal” with Temer’s personal aide to address his demands with the federal government. Days later, this aide was filmed receiving a bag full of cash from an emissary sent by Batista.</p> <p>For Segovia, however, this episode <a href="https://g1.globo.com/politica/noticia/segovia-poe-em-duvida-se-uma-unica-mala-e-suficiente-para-apontar-se-temer-praticou-corrupcao.ghtml">doesn’t indicate</a> any wrongdoing. “Maybe just one bag is not enough to say whether or not there was a crime – or who committed it,” said Segovia in November, adding that the Federal Prosecution Office didn’t properly conduct the investigation.</p> <p>But it’s not only his outspoken antics that distinguishes Segovia from his predecessors. His direct contact with President Michel Temer has also raised eyebrows. Formally, the Federal Police Chief operates under the Ministry of Justice, yet Segovia has bypassed his boss a few times and met with Temer alone at least two times – and one of those happened to be during the same week that Temer had to respond to a Federal Police inquiry. On both occasions, the meetings were concealed from Temer’s public schedule.</p> <p>Segovia’s case will be investigated by the Presidency’s Ethics Committee on Monday. However, the committee has no power to suspend or remove anyone from office. It can only reprimand offenders. And just one person is able to change Segovia’s fate: Temer. Apparently, and perhaps unsurprisingly, Temer seems quite happy with the police chief’s performance.