Bolsonaro Appoints Ramagem’s Right-Hand Man to Head Federal Police

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro appointed, on Monday, May 4th, detective Rolando Alexandre de Souza as Director General of the Federal Police (PF). The decision was published in an extra edition of the Federal Gazette, and the swearing-in ceremony took place only 20 minutes after publication.

Rolando was until now the Planning and Management Secretary of the Brazilian Investigation Agency (ABIN) and close to Alexandre Ramagem, the intelligence agency’s General Director, of whom he is regarded as the “right-hand man”.

Initially, the position in the PF had been assigned to Ramagem, but a Federal Supreme Court decision last week prevented him from taking the post. Justice Alexandre de Moraes claimed “misuse of purpose” in the choice, since the nominee had headed the President’s security team during the 2018 elections and has a relationship with the Bolsonaro clan.

The following day, Bolsonaro described Moraes’ decision blocking Ramagem from taking office as “an affront”. “I will not accept being a lame-duck President, hostage to anyone’s monocratic decisions. It’s not a message. It’s a statement to Mr. Alexandre de Moraes,” he said.

According to people close to the president, ABIN’s General Director was directly involved in the decisions regarding the future of the PF command, a task under the Minister of Justice, André Luiz Mendonça.

Concern with inquiries

Bolsonaro is concerned about the progress of the “Fake News” inquiry underway in the Federal Supreme Court (STF), which could affect the President’s sons and even government officials who work in the so-called “hate bureau”.

The investigation has already identified Bolsonarist entrepreneurs who would be financing attacks against Supreme Court Justices on social media.

There is yet another inquiry launched by STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes, to investigate “theoretically criminal events” involving the organization of antidemocratic demonstrations, after Bolsonaro took part in a protest in Brasília summoned on social media with messages against the STF and Congress.

The President is also concerned about the investigation into Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, regarding a “splitting” kickback scheme in his former office in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

Source: Estadão Conteúdo