Former chief of the Brazilian federal police, Mauricio Valeixo, has confirmed President Jair Bolsonaro’s accusation of political interference. Bolsonaro wanted someone close to him at the post, Valeixo said yesterday, according to Brazilian television, in the lawsuit against the president in the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba.
Former Justice Minister Sergio Moro had made allegations against Bolsonaro when he announced his resignation. Bolsonaro had previously fired Federal Police chief Valeixo, a close confidante of Moro.
He nominated Alexandre Ramagem, a friend of the family, as his successor. Police have been reported to be incriminating two politically active sons of the ultra-right president. Ramagem was security chief Bolsonaros during the election campaign and made friends with the Bolsonaro clan, especially with one of the two sons.
Video in circulation
After a Supreme Court judge banned Ramagen’s nomination, Bolsonaro withdrew it. After the controversy, he appointed Rolando de Souza, who is close to his original candidate. In one of his first acts, de Souza replaced the director of the federal police in Rio de Janeiro, where the Bolsonaro family lives.
In addition to Valeixo, almost a dozen other people are expected to be heard this week. The content of the video is eagerly awaited from a meeting where, according to Moro, Bolsonaro is said to have requested personnel changes and access to secret reports.
