Supreme Court’s Moraes authorizes Ibaneis Rocha to return as governor of the Brazilian Federal District

On Wednesday (15), Supreme Court Justice (STF), Alexandre de Moraes, authorized the return of Ibaneis Rocha to the post of governor of the Federal District (DF). Ibaneis had been removed by Moraes one day after the January 8 acts.

During Ibaneis’ time away, the vice governor, Celina Leão, took command of the District.

The initial decision of Moraes was for a removal for 90 days, and despite recognizing that the return of Ibaneis to office does not pose risks to the investigation, the Justice said that the governor might be, again, removed “ex officio or at the request of the parties” if there is reason to do so.

“The current moment of the investigation – after the completion of several steps and reports – no longer reveals the adequacy and necessity of maintaining the measure […].”

“It is not glimpsed, currently, the risk that the return to public office of the investigated Ibaneis Barros Rocha Junior may compromise the present investigation or result in the reiteration of criminal offenses investigated, “says an excerpt from the order.

In February, the acting governor of the DF, Celina Leão, accused the Planalto of failing to contain the demonstrations.

All the onus came to us,” she said. “[But] You have failures in the GSI, in the Palace. You have failures in various places. Do you understand failures of the intelligence of other branches of government?”

“So it didn’t just happen to us; it happened in a general way. But who was most damaged for sure was the government of the Federal District,” she said.

SUPREME COURT AS THE TRUE MASTER OF ALL

Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF) ordered the removal, for 90 days, of Ibaneis Rocha (MDB) from the position of governor of the Federal District due to acts of vandalism on Sunday (8) that destroyed the Planalto Palace, the National Congress and the Federal Supreme Court (STF). In the decision, he pointed out the alleged “intentionally omissive conduct” of the representative.

“Not only did he make public statements defending a false ‘free political demonstration in Brasilia’ – even though all the networks knew that attacks on the Institutions and their members would be carried out – but he also ignored all the appeals from the authorities to carry out a similar security plan those carried out in the last two years on September 7, in particular, with the prohibition of terrorist criminals entering the esplanade of the Ministries; having released wide access”, wrote the Justice.