Bolsonaro was main beneficiary in illegal surveillance scheme, Brazil police allege
BRASILIA (Reuters) -Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro allegedly helped orchestrate an illegal surveillance scheme by intelligence agency ABIN to target his political enemies during his term, a federal police report showed on Wednesday.
The report, which was released by the Supreme Court, said the group used ABIN to spy on and attack political foes and state institutions and to disseminate fake news.
The findings, based on testimony, documents from search operations and other evidence, identified Bolsonaro as the "main beneficiary" from the surveillance.
Bolsonaro's lawyer, Celso Vilardi, said he had not yet reviewed the police report and could not comment.
Despite implicating Bolsonaro, police did not formally accuse him in the report, which did accuse more than 30 other individuals.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said he made the findings public after leaks led to conflicting media reports on the matter on Tuesday.
Police noted potential links between the ABIN probe and an investigation into an alleged coup attempt, in which Bolsonaro is already a defendant.
The decision on whether to charge Bolsonaro in the surveillance case has been left to Brazil's Prosecutor General's Office.
Among those formally accused was Carlos Bolsonaro, the former president's son and a Rio de Janeiro city councilor, who police alleged was part of the criminal organization.
The younger Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing, stating on Tuesday that the investigation aimed to harm him ahead of next year's elections.
Alexandre Ramagem, the former head of ABIN under Bolsonaro's administration, and Luiz Fernando Correa, the current head of the agency, were also among the people formally accused by police, the report showed.
Ramagem was accused of being part of a criminal organization and using ABIN to illegal ends, while Correa is suspected of obstructing the police investigation into the agency, police said.
Ramagem could not be reached for comment on Wednesday, but said in a post on X on Tuesday that he would analyze the accusations once he had access to the police report.
ABIN did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. It had declined to comment on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Ricardo Brito in Brasilia; Writing by Andre Romani; Editing by Kylie Madry and Leslie Adler)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
44 minutes ago
- The Sun
Elon Musk delays new political party plans to focus on companies
CALIFORNIA: Billionaire Elon Musk is quietly delaying plans to launch his new political party. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Musk told allies he wants to focus on his companies instead. Musk unveiled the America Party in July following a public dispute with former President Donald Trump regarding tax legislation. The Tesla CEO has recently concentrated on maintaining relationships with Vice President JD Vance. Musk acknowledged to associates that forming a political party would damage his relationship with Vance. The world's richest man and his associates have informed Vance's inner circle about potential financial support. Musk is considering using his resources to back Vance if he runs for president in 2028. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO spent nearly 300 million dollars in 2024 supporting Trump and other Republicans. This expenditure gave Musk significant influence during the early weeks of Trump's administration. Reuters could not immediately verify the Journal's reporting through independent sources. Tesla and the White House did not respond to requests for comment outside business hours. Vance had called for reconciliation following Musk's public feud with Trump earlier this year. The Vice President reaffirmed his position this month and asked Musk to rejoin Republican party efforts. Tesla shares have declined more than 18 percent this year amid challenging financial results. The electric vehicle maker posted its worst quarterly sales decline in over a decade during July. Although profit margins exceeded some expectations, overall results missed Wall Street targets. Musk warned investors about difficult quarters ahead after Trump administration EV support ended. Investors express concern about Musk's ability to focus on Tesla amid political ambitions. The uncertainty continues as Musk balances business priorities with political interests. - Reuters
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Musk quietly puts brakes on plans for new political party
KUALA LUMPUR: Billionaire Elon Musk is quietly putting the brakes on plans to start his new political party, telling allies he wants to focus on his companies, the Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday, citing people with knowledge of the plans. Musk unveiled the 'America Party' in July after a public dispute with President Donald Trump on the tax cut and spending bill. He has recently been focused in part on maintaining ties with Vice President JD Vance, the paper said, and has acknowledged to associates that forming a political party would damage his relationship with Vance. Musk, the world's richest man, and his associates have told people close to Vance that the billionaire is considering using some of his financial resources to back Vance if he decides to run for president in 2028, the paper said. The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX spent nearly US$300 million in 2024 to help Trump and other Republicans get elected, exerting enormous influence in the first few weeks of Trump's term as head of the newly created efficiency department (DOGE). Reuters could not immediately verify the Journal report. Tesla and the White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside regular business hours. Vance, who had called for a truce following Musk's all-public feud with Trump, reaffirmed his position this month and said he had asked Musk to return to the Republican fold. Tesla shares are down more than 18 per cent this year after it posted in July its worst quarterly sales decline in more than a decade and profit that missed Wall Street targets, though its profit margin was better than many had feared. Musk also warned of "a few rough quarters" after the end of support for electric vehicles by the Trump administration. Investors worry whether he will be able to devote enough time and attention to Tesla after locking horns with Trump over his ambitions for a new political party.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
China stages massive military parade marking WW2 surrender of Japan
BEIJING: China will stage a massive military parade next month involving tens of thousands of people in the heart of Beijing to commemorate 80 years since the end of World War Two following the surrender of Japan. Hundreds of aircraft including fighter jets and bombers as well as ground equipment, some of which have never been seen in public before, will be featured in the parade, military officials said at a press conference. The September 3 parade, the second such procession since 2015 to observe the formal surrender of Japanese forces in 1945, will be a show of China's military strength as some of its neighbours and Western nations look on with concern over the projection of power by the People's Liberation Army in recent years. From trucks fitted with devices to take out drones, new tanks and early warning aircraft to protect China's aircraft carriers, military attaches and security analysts say they are expecting China to display a host of new weapons and equipment at the parade. Additions to its expanding suite of missiles, particularly anti-ship versions and weapons with hypersonic capabilities, will be particularly closely watched as the U.S. and its allies prepare to counter China in any future regional conflict. Wu Zeke, deputy director of the military parade, told reporters that the weapons and equipment will fully demonstrate our military's robust ability to adapt to technological advancements, evolving warfare patterns, and win future wars. The 70-minute-long Victory Day parade, comprising 45 contingents of troops, will be surveyed by President Xi Jinping at Tiananmen Square alongside a number of foreign leaders and dignitaries including Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also attended the 2015 parade. At the last World War Two parade, more than 12,000 soldiers, including diverse contingents from Russia and Belarus to Mongolia and Cambodia, marched through the city alongside veterans. Beijing had also mobilised over 500 pieces of military equipment and 200 aircraft. Many Western leaders had shunned the 2015 event, wary of the message that China would send with its exhibition of military might. Then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declined to attend. Foreign attendees at the time included former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Authorities have stepped up security in downtown Beijing since the first rehearsals this month, setting up checkpoints, diverting road traffic and shutting shopping malls and office buildings. Beijing has so far conducted two large-scale rehearsals on the weekends of August 9-10 and 16-17, attended by 22,000 and 40,000 people involving troops, police and spectators. - Reuters
