RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) 鈥 An investigation by federal police has led to allegations that Brazil鈥檚 intelligence agency spied on members of the judiciary, lawmakers and journalists during the administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro, court records showed Thursday.
Among those targeted were Chamber Speaker Arthur Lira, Supreme Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the former governor of Sao Paulo Jo茫o D贸ria and members of the environmental agency Ibama, according to a Supreme Court document signed by Moraes himself.
Also targeted were three senators who led a parliamentary enquiry into Bolsonaro's actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to well known journalists M么nica Bergamo of Folha de S.Paulo newspaper and Vera Magalh茫es of O Globo newspaper.
Police on Thursday carried out five preventive arrest warrants to dismantle a 鈥渃riminal organization鈥 that allegedly illegally monitored public authorities and produced fake news using systems from Brazil鈥檚 intelligence agency, known by its Portuguese acronym ABIN.
The group essentially ran a 鈥減arallel structure鈥, the court document said. 鈥淭he criminal organization also illegally accessed computers, telephone devices and telecommunications infrastructure to monitor people and public officials,鈥 police said.
Arrest warrants were issued for former member of the Secretariat of Social Communication Mateus de Carvalho Sposito, businessman Richards Dyer Pozzer, influencer Rog茅rio Beraldo de Almeida, federal police officer Marcelo Ara煤jo Bormevet and military officer Giancarlo Gomes Rodrigues.
Bolsonaro鈥檚 name appears five times in the Supreme Court鈥檚 decision authorizing the arrest warrants carried out Thursday, in which it is mentioned that one of the suspects said he had a 鈥渄irect line鈥 to Bolsonaro.
An attorney for Bolsonaro did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
The former president is not formally accused of ordering any espionage. But the police鈥檚 investigation found 鈥渢hat ABIN had been instrumentalized, with a clear institutional deviation from clandestine actions, to monitor people related to investigations involving family members鈥 of Bolsonaro, the court document said.
Asked whether Bolsonaro faces legal risk in the case, law professor Rodrigo S谩nchez Rios from the Pontifical Catholic University in Parana said yes.
鈥淚t is widely accepted that Bolsonaro had knowledge about the illegal espionage scheme at the intelligence agency. The authorities who were monitored had a political future that was politically important to Bolsonaro,鈥 S谩nchez Rios said.
鈥淚f that connection is proven, he could be held responsible for several crimes, no matter if related to his neglect or his action,鈥 S谩nchez Rios added
Police also said their investigations showed that the group allegedly sought to interfere in several police probes, including some that targeted or involved two of Bolsonaro鈥檚 sons, Jair Renan and Fl谩vio, a sitting senator.
Those targeted by the arrest warrants are suspected of committing the crimes of criminal organization, attempted abolition of the democratic rule of law, clandestine interception of communications and invasion of another person鈥檚 computer device, police said.
Police say that under the watch of former intelligence chief, Alexandre Ramagem, the group used a software called FirstMile, developed by the Israeli company Cognyte.
The 187-page police report included screenshots from exchanges between targets of the police operation on Thursday.
In a conversation on WhatsApp held in August 2021 about investigations under Moraes鈥 responsibility, one of them says 鈥渢his bald guy deserves something more鈥, referring to Moraes. Another replies: 鈥淛ust a 7.62鈥, appearing to reference a type of rifle. The interlocutor replies in English 鈥渉ead shot鈥.
In its opinion on the case, the Attorney General鈥檚 Office said the evidence points to the existence of a wider criminal organization.
鈥淭he structure infiltrated in the Brazilian Intelligence Agency represented only one cell of a broader criminal organization, focused on attacking opponents, institutions and Republican systems,鈥 the Attorney General鈥檚 Office said.
This is just one judicial case among many linking Bolsonaro, who led the country between 2019 and 2022, to wrongdoings.
under suspicion of embezzlement, asset laundering and criminal association in connection with luxury jewelry from Saudi Arabia,
In June last year, Brazil's until 2030 for casting unfounded doubts on the country鈥檚 electronic voting system.
Victims of the alleged illegal spying responded with outrage to Thursday's reports. Senator Alessandro Vieira, wrote on X that the 鈥渃riminal espionage and online attacks" were 鈥渢ypical of dictatorial governments.鈥
For Senator Randolfe Rodrigues, the vice president of the committee that looked into Bolsonaro鈥檚 handling of the pandemic in Brazil died, Thursday鈥檚 reports bring 鈥渁 tragic aspect to the scene鈥, according to a notice from the Senate鈥檚 press office.
鈥淲hile Brazilians were dying, the previous government, instead of worrying about buying vaccines, was concerned with persecuting and monitoring political opponents,鈥 he said.
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Associated Press writer Mauricio Savarese contributed from Sao Paulo.
