Brazil corruption: Police arrest ex-aide to Jair Bolsonaro’s son Flavio

A previous aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s eldest son has been arrested as portion of an investigation into alleged corruption.

Fabrício Queiroz is suspected of remaining element of a scheme to embezzle the salaries of phantom workers in the Rio de Janeiro assembly when Flávio Bolsonaro was a point out lawmaker.

He experienced been on the operate but was arrested at a house of a own attorney to the Bolsonaro spouse and children in close proximity to São Paulo.

Flávio Bolsonaro denies any wrongdoing.

The scenario could be uncomfortable for the much-proper president, who arrived to workplace in January 2019 immediately after working on an anti-corruption marketing campaign and promising to be tough on crime.

Mr Bolsonaro is presently dealing with an investigation into an alleged try to interfere with the law enforcement, and has found some allies staying focused by a independent inquiry in excess of an alleged phony information scheme.

The political disaster has deepened as the coronavirus carries on to spread throughout Brazil, which has now the world’s next-maximum selection of conditions – more than 955,000 – and deaths, more than 46,500. Mr Bolsonaro, who originally described the virus as a “tiny flu”, has been greatly criticised for his dealing with of the outbreak.

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What is the situation about?

Brazilian authorities identified 1.2m reais (£180,000 $220,000 in recent figures) in financial institution transactions in an account belonging to Mr Queiroz amongst 2016 and 2017, when Flávio was a Rio state lawmaker.

Condition prosecutors say 54-yr-previous Mr Queiroz – a former policeman and ex-driver to Flávio – ran a plan involving phantom personnel in Flávio’s office. They allege that component of the salaries was diverted, with the proceeds being laundered by way of a chocolate shop franchise and two flats.

Mr Queiroz was arrested in a raid on a house that belongs to Frederick Wassef, a attorney to the Bolsonaro family, in the metropolis of Atibaia, in São Paulo point out. Mr Bolsonaro the moment stated Mr Queiroz experienced been his close friend given that the 1980s.

Flávio served as point out legislator for 16 years. Now a federal senator, he has referred to as the investigation a political attack on his household, writing on Twitter: “I face today’s situations with tranquillity. The fact will prevail! A further piece on the playing board was moved to assault [Jair] Bolsonaro… It truly is a brutal video game!”

The president, his son and Mr Wassef had denied in many events obtaining any knowledge of Mr Queiroz’s whereabouts. Mr Queiroz’s lawyer and Mr Wassef have not commented, and the president is still to react.

What are the other conditions against President Bolsonaro and his allies?

The Supreme Court docket is now investigating allegations that President Bolsonaro tried out to interfere in the get the job done of the federal police for political motives, next accusations built by former Justice Minister Sergio Moro.

Mr Moro, a previous judge who oversaw Brazil’s major anti-corruption investigation regarded as Procedure Motor vehicle Clean, resigned in April saying Mr Bolsonaro experienced pressed him to modify the chief of the federal law enforcement.

He also accused the president of trying to get to interfere in investigations that concerned spouse and children associates, and even requested intelligence reviews. Mr Bolsonaro has denied the allegations.

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A range of Bolsonaro allies like organization leaders, bloggers and lawmakers are being investigated in a scenario that includes an alleged scheme to distribute defamatory bogus information and threats in opposition to Supreme Court docket users.

A report by Folha de S.Paulo newspaper in April claimed the federal law enforcement experienced recognized an additional of Mr Bolsonaro’s sons, Carlos, as a essential member of the plan. It said the locating was at the centre of the president’s endeavor to improve the police chief. Carlos Bolsonaro has rejected the allegations.

Mr Bolsonaro has urged the Supreme Court docket to suspend the this investigation, stating the justices are politically biased and concentrate on his supporters.

And there is a independent investigation into anti-democratic rallies organised by Bolsonaro supporters calling for navy intervention in politics and the closure of the Supreme Court docket and Congress. The president has endorsed some of the protests, and critics say he has despatched ambiguous messages about his motivation to the democratic institutions.

Earlier this week, six considerably-right militants had been arrested, such as the alleged leader of the team, Sara Giromini, known as Sara Winter. The households and offices of alleged organisers have been also raided.