Lula dismisses Brazil’s deputy intel chief in Bolsonaro surveillance investigation
The federal police investigate a government network that allegedly used Israeli spyware to eavesdrop on hundreds of politicians and public figures during Bolsonaro’s presidency
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has sacked Brazil’s deputy intelligence director, Alessandro Moretti, amid an investigation into alleged illegal espionage involving one of predecessor Jair Bolsonaro’s sons.
The federal police probe is looking into a clandestine government network that allegedly used Israeli spyware to illegally eavesdrop on hundreds of politicians and public figures during Bolsonaro’s presidency.
The investigation has implicated a group within the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) for spying on perceived Bolsonaro opponents, including supreme court justices and the former lower-house speaker.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who authorized raids related to the investigation, stated that police had identified Jair Bolsonaro’s son Carlos as part of the “political nucleus” suspected of ordering the illegal spying.
Bolsonaro condemned the probe as “persecution,” while Lula dismissed Bolsonaro’s claim as “nonsense.”
Carlos Bolsonaro appeared for questioning by federal police and made no statement to the media.
The investigation has also led to the raid of the home and offices of Bolsonaro’s former intelligence chief, Alexandre Ramagem, who is now a federal lawmaker.
There had been speculation that Lula could fire top figures at the intelligence agency over the scandal.
Lula expressed confidence in Abin director Luiz Fernando Correa, whom he named to the post, but suggested earlier that he would fire Moretti if allegations of passing information illegally to Ramagem were proven to be true.
Source: Newsroom
