Reports: Bolsonaro denies interference in Rio police appointment
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday confirmed the replacement of the federal police chief in Rio de Janeiro, but denied that he had instigated the move in an attempt to interfere with investigations, local media reported.
The decision was taken by the new national federal police chief, Rolando Alexandre de Sousa, who took office immediately after his appointment on Monday.
De Sousa is seen as being close to Alexandre Ramagem, a Bolsonaro family friend whose appointment as national federal police chief was blocked by the Supreme Court.
Bolsonaro said the outgoing Rio police chief had been given a senior post in the federal police force, and angrily denied allegations that he was trying to prevent investigations into his family in Rio.
“No relative of mine is under investigation by federal police, neither I nor my sons, zero,” the daily O Globo quoted him as saying. He called such allegations “a lie” spread by the media.
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Pressure has been mounting on Bolsonaro after popular justice minister Sergio Moro resigned in late April, accusing him of interfering with the police force. The Supreme Court has authorized an investigation into the allegations.
The controversy has made Bolsonaro’s problems worse at a time when he also faces accusations of failing to tackle the country’s Covid-19 crisis. Brazil is the South American country with the highest number of cases, with more than 110,000 infections and over 7,400 deaths. (dpa)
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