Brazil police say Bolsonaro committed no crime in interference probe

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Federal police in Brazil looking into whether President Jair Bolsonaro interfered in police work have cleared him of committing any crime, according to a document sent to the country’s Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The document also exempted from criminal liability former Justice Minister Sergio Moro, who accused the president of meddling in the federal police by replacing its director general in April 2020 to protect his sons from investigations.

At the time, one of Bolsonaro’s sons was facing an investigation in Rio de Janeiro by state prosecutors for suspicious financial transactions. The son, Flavio Bolsonaro, has denied wrongdoing, but has not yet been cleared of the charges.

The probe was opened by the Supreme Court two years ago at the request of Brazil’s top public prosecutor Augusto Aras. Aras wanted to know if either Bolsonaro – by trying to inflence the work of the federal police – and Moro – by making the accusation – had committed crimes.

The document said it was the president’s prerogative to appoint and dismiss the head of the federal police.

It is now up to Aras to decide whether to shelve the investigation. A spokesperson for his office said it had not received word of the police findings and thus could not comment.

(Reporting by Ricardo Brito; Writing by Peter Frontini; Editing by Karishma Singh)