“Fighting Corruption Is Not a Government Priority,” Moro Says

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The former Minister of Justice Sérgio Moro said in an interview that “the fight against corruption is not a government priority” for President Jair Bolsonaro.

Moro resigned last Friday, making a harsh statement in which he accused Bolsonaro of having tried to unduly interfere in the actions of the Federal Police (PF).

On Monday, Justice Celso de Mello opened an inquiry at the Federal Supreme Court (STF) to investigate the facts. Moro also announced that he will submit evidence to the Court to support his allegations.

“There were indications that the fight against corruption is not a government priority in the course of the administration. It started with the transfer of the COAF (Council for Financial Activities Control) to the Ministry of Economy. The government did nothing to stop the change. Then came the anti-crime bill. The Ministry of Justice worked hard to get the law passed, but it underwent some changes in Congress that impacted the institutions’ ability to tackle corruption,” the ex-Minister said.

“I remember that I virtually begged the President to veto the figure of the “guarantees judge”, but I was not satisfied. I’d like to point out that the Executive has never negotiated positions in exchange for support, but more recently I saw the government approach certain politicians with a less positive record. And, finally, the dismissal of the Federal Police director without my knowledge. It was the last straw,” Moro said.

The ex-Minister reiterated in the interview that Bolsonaro had no legitimate reason to dismiss the Director-General of the Federal Police, Alexandre Valeixo. “I reiterate everything I said in my statement. I will provide further details only when summoned by Justice. The evidence will be submitted at the appropriate time when the Court requests it,” he said.

Moro denied that he was interested in bargaining the replacement of the PF Director for a position at the STF in November, when Celso de Mello retires. “I would never do that. Unfortunately, I had to disclose that message to prove I was telling the truth, that I wasn’t the one lying,” he said, referring to the messages exchanged with Bolsonaro submitted to the “Jornal Nacional” (Evening News) shortly after his parting speech.

In the interview, Moro also said that he never intended to be Bolsonaro’s executioner. “Public opinion understood what I said and the reasons for my statement. It is important to make this very clear: It was never my intention to be the President’s executioner or to hurt the government. In fact, I was extremely sorry to have to adopt this position. What I did and I felt that I needed to do was to leave the government and explain why I was leaving. That is the truth,” he said.

The ex-Minister also said that he personally likes Bolsonaro and that there are several excellent Ministers in the government. He particularly praised Paulo Guedes, Minister of Economy. “I hope that the government is successful. It is what the country hopes for, in the end. Maybe my departure may foster a greater commitment by the government to fight corruption,” he said.

In the interview, he discarded new projects in politics. “My position has always been purely of professional expertise. I will continue to seek expertise work, now in the private sector. I have no electoral pretensions. I have not joined any party. It was never my plan. I’ve been working hard since 2014. I want time off. And I don’t want to think about politics right now.”

Moro had left 22 years of magistrature behind him in exchange for an “unfulfilled promise that I would have support in these anti-corruption policies”. He said he is not going back to the judiciary and intends to find a job in the private sector.

The ex-Minister of Justice also complained that he is being attacked after accusing the President. “They attacked my wife and are preparing and publishing files against her with utterly false information. She’s never done anything wrong. Neither she nor I have done anything wrong. These same intimidation methods were used in the past, during Lava-Jato, when the one investigated and prosecuted was ex-President Lula,” he compared.

One of the reasons behind Moro and the PF leadership’s attrition was the investigation into the attack suffered by Bolsonaro during his campaign. The President does not believe that Adélio Bispo de Oliveira acted alone; rather, he believes in a conspiracy sponsored by political opponents.

The federal police not found any tangible evidence of any conspiracy. However, Moro does not rule it out. “The suspicion that there may be a mastermind behind the crime cannot be ruled out. Until an investigation is completed, there can be no final judgment,” he said.

Source: O Globo