Brazil Prosecutor Asks Court to Silence the Head of Police

News

The prosecutor heading the most recent corruption case against Brazilian president, Michel Temer, asked the Supreme Court on Monday to prevent the head of the federal police, Fernando Segovia, from interfering with the probe, according to Reuters.

February 27th, 2018
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The investigation relates to alleged bribes Temer may have accepted last year in return for allowing the logistics firm Rodrimar SA to have access to the Port of Santos, Latin America’s busiest container port.

The order that Attorney General Raquel Dodge has requested would count public statements about the investigation as acts of interference.

If issued, the order would put Segovia’s job on the line if he gave further remarks to the press, such as his February 9th statements to Reuters that the investigation had found no evidence of corruption, that no crime was committed, and that the investigation would soon be over.   

On Sunday, Reuters reported that the top prosecutor had successfully obtained a different Supreme Court order-- this one allowing investigators to use previously protected bank account documents, tax information and emails belonging to people and companies implicated in the corruption case.

The judges did not name the specific people or companies whose documents were made unsecret.

Globo TV reported on Saturday night that prosecutors and police also want to probe the President Temer’s bank accounts, tax information and telephone calls.

The bribery probe is the only case pending against Temer, who last year avoided standing trial before the Supreme Court on charges of corruption, obstruction of justice and organized crime as the result of of a congressional vote.