Uncertainty About Federal Police Head Generates Internal Dispute, Fear of Paralysis

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The threat of President Jair Bolsonaro (PSL) in August to change the general director of the Federal Police (PF) has triggered an internal dispute about key positions and the fear of paralysis of sectors of the department.

In order to neutralize the president’s action, the PF summit and superintendents of regional units are demanding a decision from Justice Minister Sérgio Moro, who has not yet been clear on the subject.

The change at the PF summit would have a domino effect, with replacements for the heads of the regional superintendencies. In addition to the central body, the PF has 27 superintendencies, one in each state and in the Federal District.

According to members of the PF, the lack of definition about the future of Maurício Valeixo, current Director-General, impacts the routine of the superintendencies; investigators evaluate that the works that are in progress will continue, but cases that are about to start will have to wait; in the administrative field, new projects, such as reforms, removals and transfer of public servants have already been affected to some extent.

The crisis in the Federal Police began on August 15th when Bolsonaro overruled the summit and said he would replace Rio’s superintendent, Ricardo Saadi, for issues of “productivity and management”. He also introduced the name of Saacd’s successor, police chief Alexandre Saraiva, currently a PF superintendent in the state of Amazonas and a friend of the family. Saraiva, however, was not the choice of Maurício Valeixo.

The federal police resisted and publicly declared that they could not detect any productivity or management deficiencies regarding Saadi. Bolsonaro also began to be criticized for interfering in a type of office that, historically, does not usually have presidential interference.

After weeks of wear and tear, Bolsonaro, in an interview with Folha de S.Paulo earlier this month, called the reaction of the Federal Police “slobbery” and said that the command of the institution needed to have an “airing” and that he had already talked to Moro about it.

The origin of the paralysis in the PF about the eventual successor of Valeixo and the heads of the superintendencies is the lack of clarity of Justice Minister Sérgio Moro, the overall head of the federal police. The former judge has still not come out in defense of the director-general.

The minister has avoided the press, making only brief statements at events, but has refused to answer questions. The Folha news site questioned the Ministry of Justice about the future of the PF again on Friday, September 13th, but he still maintains that he will not discuss it.

The information that circulates internally in the Federal Police is that Justice Minister Sérgio Moro is still relying on hope that the dust will clear so that he can keep Valeixo in office, but his departure is already taken for granted, and the charge is now that Moro should at least try to participate in the process of defining a successor.

Although the discourse is that the body must continue to function independently of external issues, the lack of definition at the top of the PF radiates to other levels.

Valeixo, chosen by Moro for the general directorate, accompanied Lava Jato and, with the internal support of the entity, participated directly in the arrest of former presidents Lula (PT) and Michel Temer (MDB).

With the change in command of the PF, the entire board should leave – on its own or be changed by the new boss.

On Sunday, September 8th, Bolsonaro underwent his fourth surgery after of the assassination attempt he suffered during the election campaign in September 2018.

In addition to the instability, the lack of definition has also caused internal disputes to occupy the vacancies of those who may be leaving and is generating a series of conspiracy theories.

Last week, for example, Fenapef (National Federation of Federal Police) sent to different congressmen, among them Senator Flavio Bolsonaro (PSL-RJ), a statement saying “to reiterate the confidence in the president and his authority to appoint and choose the director-general”.

The note was seen as opportunistic by sectors of the PF and is another chapter of the clash between agents and officers. In an interview with Folha de S.Paulo, Bolsonaro did not deny that Anderson Torres, the current secretary of Public Security of the Federal District, was his favorite to replace Valeixo.

The PF’s leadership sees the possibility of appointing Torres as a step backward for the corporation. The leaders argue that the fact that he has been outside the body for almost a decade and has worked as an advisor to a politician during that time is bad for the PF.

The now Secretary of Security was legislative advisor to former MP Fernando Francischini (PSL) for eight years.

During the 30 days of crisis that have gone by, Moro spoke only once on the subject in an interview with GloboNews, giving a statement considered by the police leadership as not very firm: “See, as I have the various functions of the Ministry of Justice here, things can change eventually, but he is in office, he remains in office, he has my confidence,” he said.

The PF was already working on the replacement of Ricardo Saadi in Rio, at his request, when Bolsonaro announced the exchange in August.

Source: Folhapress