Is there foul play in Rio’s Covid-19 corruption probe?

To make things easier for local governments to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, Brazilian lawmakers placed the country under a “state of calamity” in March, which lifts many of the controls imposed by strict public spending laws, allowing contracts to be fast-tracked and public bidding processes to be skipped. However, more cynical observers saw the move as a license to embezzle public funds. “If we have problems with the checks-and-balances systems when they are working, imagine what happens when they’re switched off,” said former Congressman Roberto Jefferson — who has already done time for corruption — in an interview with The Brazilian Report’s Brenno Grillo.

As four unmarked police cars parked in front of the Rio de Janeiro state government headquarters early on Tuesday, Mr. Jefferson’s predictions seemed to materialize. Federal marshals seized computers and cell phones as part of an investigation into a corruption scheme operating within the state’s health department. Targeting Rio de Janeiro Governor Wilson Witzel, the police investigated contracts for the construction of Covid-19 field hospitals in the state, which had been fast-tracked and valued at USD 150 million thanks to the looser calamity rules. Law enforcement attempts to ascertain whether or not Mr. Witzel led a corruption ring to embezzle funds by way of overpriced purchases. 

As Brazilians watched the operation unfold, two thoughts crossed their minds. In a state riddled with corruption, it was about time that a high-profile politician was caught with his or her hand in the cookie jar. But at the same time, considering...