Bolsonaro investigation is another case of politics being taken to court

Apr 29, 2020 16:41 5 min read (Updated: Apr 30, 2020 7:51)

The resignation of Justice Minister Sergio Moro last week may result in more than just a political headache for President Jair Bolsonaro. Declarations made by the outgoing Mr. Moro have led the Supreme Court to authorize a criminal investigation into the sitting president.

Once seen as a hero by Mr. Bolsonaro’s supporters, Sergio Moro resigned on Friday claiming that the president had meddled in the functioning of the Federal Police. He alleged that Mr. Bolsonaro intended to fire the then-head of federal law enforcement Marcelo Valeixo, replacing him with someone “he could call, that could give him information on investigation reports.”

Mr. Moro’s complaints were quickly taken to the Supreme Court by Prosecutor General Augusto Aras, with veteran justice Celso de Mello placing Jair Bolsonaro under formal investigation. Among the crimes cited by Mr. Aras were passive corruption, malfeasance, and misrepresentation on a public document.

And on Wednesday morning, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes moved to suspend President Bolsonaro’s appointment of Alexandre Ramagem as the new Federal Police Chief. Mr. Ramagem is a close friend of the Bolsonaro family, and Justice Moraes based his decision on Sergio Moro’s accusations of political interference.