Act Daily News
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Brazilian police looking the home of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s justice minister discovered a draft decree proposing the introduction of a state of protection to overturn the results of the nation’s presidential election, the ministry’s spokeswoman advised Act Daily News.
Justice Ministry spokeswoman Lorena Ribeiro mentioned Federal Police discovered the doc whereas finishing up a search and arrest warrant on the home of Anderson Torres on Tuesday.
She mentioned it proposed implementing a “state of defense” within the Superior Electoral Court whereas Bolsonaro was nonetheless chief with a view to overturn the victory of his rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, within the October election. The draft had not been signed by Bolsonaro, Ribeiro mentioned.
A state of protection is a authorized measure that permits the sitting President to intervene in different areas of presidency to safe public order. While Bolsonaro misplaced the October election, he remained president till the top of December.
Act Daily News has not considered the doc and Torres – who served as justice minister till the Bolsonaro administration left workplace – has issued a press release on social media denying he was the creator of the decree.
“As Minister of Justice, we are faced with hearings, suggestions, and proposals of the most diverse types,” he wrote. “In my house there was a pile of documents to be discarded, where most likely the material described in the article was found,” he added. “Everything would be taken to be shredded at the Ministry of Justice in due course.”
Torres recommended that the decree draft had been intentionally leaked to media to discredit him.
“The cited document was picked up when I wasn’t there and leaked out of context, helping to fuel fallacious narratives against me. We were the first ministry to deliver management reports for the transition (of power),” he mentioned. “I respect Brazilian democracy. I have a clear conscience regarding my role as minister.”
After leaving authorities, Torres took workplace as the top of Security for the Federal District of Brasilia, however was fired on Sunday after protesters breached police obstacles and broke into authorities buildings. He had traveled to Orlando, Florida, allegedly on vacation, simply days earlier than the riots and was there as occasions unfolded.
Torres vowed to chop his vacation quick and face justice after search and arrest warrants had been issued by the Brazilian Supreme Court, denying any wrongdoing.
Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court issued Torres a preventive detention order underneath an arrest warrant issued on Wednesday.
The draft paperwork had been first reported by Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo on Thursday.
Brazil’s new Justice Minister Flavio Dino advised Act Daily News Brasil on Thursday the existence of the draft decree was “appalling” and mentioned what it known as for was “unconstitutional.”
“I didn’t have access to the document and according to the press reports, it was a decree for a coup d’état that emphasizes what we saw on January 8 (the day of the riots), which wasn’t an isolated case. It was an element of a chain, a link in a coup chain in Brazil that had preparatory and astonishing acts, such as a decree of military intervention in the Electoral Court, which is unconstitutional,” Dino mentioned.
He additionally criticized Torres for holding the doc at his dwelling. “A public agent, upon becoming aware of a crime, should not keep such a document at home. It is something that really shows the will of closing the Supreme Court, the Congress, of preventing the freedom of the Brazilian people to choose their rulers. And all attempts failed, including the one on January 8.”
“What can I say to the Brazilian nation is if someone gives me a document of that nature, they would be arrested, because it is criminal. I wouldn’t keep it, I wouldn’t grind it,” Dino mentioned.