Brazil's President Bolsonaro withdraws name of family friend as federal police chief

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro withdrew the name of his family friend Alexandre Ramagem, whom he had earlier selected to run the country's Federal Police. This came after Supreme Court blocked his appointment over the fears that his recruitment would allow Bolsenaro to have inappropriate influence over the law enforcement. The decision was announced on April 30 in government's official gazette. 

According to international media, Justice Alexandre de Moraes suspended the appointment on April 29. His order came after Brazil's top court authorized an investigation into opposition's allegations that Bolsenaro has previously misused power by swapping the police chief. Moraes in his verdict wrote that he granted the injunction, which could still be appealed because there were signs that Ramagem could be compromised due to his relations with the Bolsenaro family. Ramagem was the director of the Brazilian intelligence agency Abin and was scheduled to assume the office of the nation’s top cop on the afternoon of April 29.

Read: Brazil's Supreme Court Authorizes Investigation Of Bolsonaro

Read: Brazil's Supreme Court Authorizes Investigation Of Country's President Jair Bolsonaro

Did Bolsonaro misuse power?

Brazil's Supreme Court on April 27 authorized an investigation into whether President Jair Bolsonaro committed crimes by allegedly attempting to interfere with the country's Federal Police. Justice Celso de Mello said in his decision, a copy of which was published by a local newspaper, that the Federal Police have 60 days to question Sérgio Moro, Bolsonaro's former justice minister whose resignation last week pitched the administration into turmoil. The justice's authorization was also reported by several other local media.

During Moro's announcement of his resignation on April 24, he said Bolsonaro had told him on multiple occasions that he wanted to replace the head of the federal police with someone who could facilitate access to investigations and intelligence reports. Brazil’s prosecutor-general, Augusto Aras, last week asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation into the allegations made by Moro, who made a name for himself as the top judge in the sprawling Car Wash corruption investigation. The prosecutor-general in his request said Moro's speech implied Bolsonaro had committed several possible crimes including obstruction of justice, and asked for the former minister to be questioned and provide evidence to substantiate his claims.

Read: Outgoing Brazil Minister Sergio Moro Denies Bolsonaro's Allegation

Read: Bolsonaro Denies Interference By Firing Police Chief

Image credits: AP