Latest Intercept “Vaza Jato” Leaks Show Prosecutors Suspect Flávio Bolsonaro

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian version of The Intercept released the eleventh part of its “Vaza Jato” private message leaks Sunday, July 21st. They feature comments from the head prosecutor of the Lavo Jato anti-corruption operation, indicating he believes that Flávio Bolsonaro is guilty of corrupt practices.

The messages are part of a series of ongoing revelations by The Intercept, showing the inner workings of Brazil’s largest anti-corruption probe. They seem to reveal unethical practices on the part of the prosecutors and the lead judge Sérgio Moro – who would go on to become the Minister of Justice under president Jair Bolsonaro.

In this latest release, Head Prosecutor Deltan Dallagnol comments on accusations that president Bolsonaro’s son, Flávio, has been using his role as a state’s deputy to appoint ghost employees as aides, in order to receive the majority of the aide’s salary himself.

The accusations follow revelations by a government financial auditing agency (Coaf) of irregular transactions between Flávio Bolsonaro’s associate Fabrício Queiroz and the Bolsonaro family.

The scheme is common in Brazil and is often used by politicians to pad their pocket illegally. Elected politicians are usually entitled to a number of government employees.

Instead of using the jobs as intended, politicians fill the positions with friends that do not show up and instead pay the majority of their salary to the politicians.

According to The Intercept, in a Telegram group composed of Lava Jato prosecutors on December 8th, 2018, Dallagnol posted a news story which reported on the deposit of R$24,000 (US$6000) by Queiroz into an account in the name of first lady Michelle Bolsonaro. The story said that the government auditing agency, COAF, labeled the transaction as “atypical.”

In the messages released by The Intercept, Dallagnol indicates that the revelations create a conflict for minister Moro between his principle platform of rooting out government corruption, and the unlikelihood that president Bolsonaro would allow his son to be targeted by anti-corruption investigations.

In a later message with another prosecutor, Dallagnol questions just how much it’s worth it to take sides on the topic of Flávio Bolsonaro when they are dependent on Bolsonaro to make reforms.

Minister Moro, when asked to comment on the issue of Flávio Bolsonaro and Queiroz, has done his best to wash his hands on the issue. He said that it is the role of the Federal Police to investigate the case. His critics say that he is attempting to avoid a messy situation with the president in order to secure a seat on Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court (STF) when it opens up.

The entire affair has cast a shadow on the Bolsonaro government, particularly Minister Moro and the Lava Jato anti-corruption probe.

The fight against institutionalized corruption has been an essential part of Brazil’s development. But the apparent unethical behavior by authorities has given ammunition to critics of the effort to clean up Brazilian politics.