Brazil’s Supreme Court orders interrogation of Bolsonaro over alleged coup plot

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court has ordered the Federal Police to question former President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022) in an investigation into a supposed plot to carry out a coup, official sources confirmed on Friday.

The order was made by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is investigating a group accused of plotting a coup to refuse to acknowledge the election victory of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva over Bolsonaro last October.

The questioning will be carried out as part of the investigation into a meeting between Bolsonaro and Senator Marcos do Val regarding alleged coup negotiations, according to the state-run Agencia Brasil.

On Thursday, Moraes ordered the Federal Police to search the residences and congressional office of Senator Do Val, who claimed in February that he had been approached at the end of 2022 with a proposal to participate in a coup that would include removing justices.

Do Val reported that he attended a meeting with former Congressman Daniel Silveira and Bolsonaro at the presidential residence in late 2022 with a plan to deceive Justice Moraes.

The senator said he intended to record a private meeting with Moraes to remove him from investigations against former president Bolsonaro.

This will be the third statement Bolsonaro will provide to the Federal Police.

The former president was summoned to testify in the case involving an alleged coup attempt against Lula, which took place on January 8th when over a thousand people stormed the seat of the three powers in Brasilia.

The prosecution charged 1,390 people with crimes against the rule of law, with most of them undergoing prosecution and trial.

Bolsonaro’s former Justice Minister, Anderson Torres, is currently detained and accused of being a key player in the attacks.

At the time, he was Secretary of Security for Brasilia and is alleged to have ordered no repression against the protestors, allowing them to access public buildings.

More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

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