RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes has set a maximum deadline of 30 days for President Jair Bolsonaro to testify in response to charges of his alleged political interference in the Federal Police.
Moraes has specified that the police will take Bolsonaro’s testimony in person, and he will be able to set a date and time for the measure within the prescribed period.
This decision comes after the Prosecutor General’s Office notified the Court on Wednesday that the President agreed to testify, although he asked to do so in writing, something that was not accepted.
Bolsonaro is under investigation for alleged “political interference” in the Federal Police to favor his relatives and close associates, based on accusations made by former Justice Minister Sergio Moro.
A year away from the next presidential election and down in the polls in the event of a potential candidacy of ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro is also under investigation for divulging confidential information about a computer attack on the Supreme Court.
These are not the only cases in which Bolsonaro is implicated. Last August 5, the Supreme Court decided to include the President in an investigation into the spread of fake news because of his unfounded attacks on the electronic voting system, by reason of which he may have committed the crimes of slander, defamation, incitement to crime, criminal association, or false denunciation.