(Rio de Janeiro) This is a new case that threatens the camp of ex-Brazilian far-right president Jair Bolsonaro: justice suspects his former intelligence chief of having, completely illegally, spied on his behalf on political opponents.
Brazilian police carried out a series of operations on Thursday targeting 12 suspects, including the former head of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) Alexandre Ramagem, now a federal deputy in Mr. Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party.
These police interventions were authorized by Alexandre de Moraes, judge of the Supreme Court and president of the Superior Electoral Tribunal, who himself was one of those spied on.
“The Federal Police have identified the existence of a criminal organization set up to illegally monitor people and public authorities by means of intrusion into computers and mobile phones […] without judicial authorization,” the Supreme Court said in a statement.
Federal police said they executed search warrants in 21 different locations in the capital Brasilia, the southeastern state of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, where Mr. Bolsonaro supports Mr. Ramagem’s candidacy for office. the town hall during the October municipal elections.
“Investigations indicate that a criminal group created a parallel structure within Abin and used its tools and services for illicit actions, producing information for political and media use, for personal gain and even to interfere in federal police investigations,” the police said in a statement.
“Persecution”
According to court documents, investigators suspect Abin of having used Israeli spyware called FirstMile to spy on hundreds of politicians and public figures during the Bolsonaro presidency (2019-2022).
According to Brazilian media, those spied on include Judge Moraes, his Supreme Court colleague Gilmar Mendes, former President of the Chamber of Deputies Rodrigo Maia and Camilo Santana, governor of the northeastern state of Ceara. then and now Minister of Education under leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Mr. Ramagem, 51, said police seized computers and phones from his home in Brasilia.
He rejected allegations that FirstMile software had been used to spy on opponents of Mr. Bolsonaro and his sons.
“To be clear, this tool is legal under the Abin, its use is legal. It was sold to several institutions in Brazil, including at the state level (regional, Editor’s note). Why are we being investigated? », defended Mr. Ramagem on the GloboNews television channel.
The leader of the Liberal Party, Valdemar Costa Neto, denounced a “persecution” against the former president and his camp.
“This is pure persecution, and it could end with an even easier Ramagem election in Rio de Janeiro,” he said on X.
According to the press, this alleged parallel espionage system would also have aimed to help a son of the former head of state, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, to face a corruption investigation launched against him. The person concerned denounced a “lie”.
Alexandre Ramagem admitted that he was close to Flavio Bolsonaro, but he affirmed that all Abin’s activities involving the sons of the head of state were intended solely to ensure the security of the presidential family.
Seven police officers were also suspended due to their alleged involvement, according to police.
Jair Bolsonaro, 68, has been surrounded by business, particularly for corruption, since he lost the presidential election at the end of 2022 against Lula.
Last June, he was sentenced to eight years of ineligibility by the electoral court for having disseminated false information on the electronic voting system before the vote.