Bolsonaro Names André Mendonça as Brazil’s Minister of Justice

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This Tuesday’s Federal Gazette features the appointment of André Mendonça, who was serving as the head of the Solicitor General’s Office (AGU), as Minister of Justice and Public Safety.

The position had been vacant since Friday, April 24th, when Sérgio Moro resigned and accused President Jair Bolsonaro of interference in the Federal Police.

Mendonça was not among the most rumored candidates to take over the position held by Moro. Other names, such as Jorge Oliveira, the current Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, were stronger.

Mendonça’s replacement as AGU is José Levi Mello do Amaral Júnior, who until then had served as chief prosecutor of the Federal Treasury.

The same edition of the Federal Gazette includes the appointment of detective inspector Alexandre Ramagem, who was head of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN), as Director-General of the Federal Police (PF), replacing Maurício Valeixo.

Ramagen is close to the Bolsonaro family and was the security coordinator of the candidate during the 2018 election campaign. For opposition parties, this reinforces the President’s attempt to influence the PF’s operations, a central point in Moro’s departure. Questioned about the close family ties with the candidate, the President last week said just “so what?”.

Just last night The Intercept political site released yet another controversial leak. It disclosed that, in conversations by the Prosecutor’s Office in Curitiba leaked last year, some prosecutors had commented that Alexandre Ramagem might be “linked to the PT (Worker’s Party)” and that he would be looking to “gum up” Lava Jato.

Moro’s accusations against Bolsonaro upon his resignation, have led Celso de Mello, a Supreme Court Justice, to authorize an investigation into Bolsonaro, after a petition brought by Prosecutor General Aras. Mello said no one is above the law and gave 60 days for the PF to take the President’s deposition (which can be in writing).

A survey released today by Datafolha shows that, in the clash between Moro and Bolsonaro, 52 percent of Brazilians believe the former Minister of Justice while 20 percent believe the President.

Source: Estadão Conteúdo