An emblem of the anti-corruption fight bids farewell to the government of Jair Bolsonaro. Former judge Sergio Moro, famous for leading the sprawling "Express Wash" investigation, has announced that he will leave government after the president’s ouster from his right-hand man and right-hand man, the head of the Federal police, Mauricio Valeixo, announced in the Official Journal on Friday.

"This decision was baseless and poses a problem of political interference," said Sergio Moro in his address Friday, April 24. The Minister of Justice then explained that the president had told him "to be worried about the investigations of the Supreme Court" and hoped that the chief of police could send him information directly. Sergio Moro concluded by saying that he could not accept the current situation.

This resignation comes eight days after the dismissal by Jair Bolsonaro of another popular member of his government, the Minister of Health, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, favorable to confinement against the coronavirus, unlike the president.

Sergio Moro warned President Bolsonaro on Thursday that Brazilian press would resign if his chief of police was dismissed. The latter, enjoying broad powers of judicial investigation, was in the crosshairs of the president since last year. However, Mr. Moro would have been surprised by the speed of this dismissal.

Jair Bolsonaro, who came to power in January 2019, had made a good decision by bringing in his far-right government Sergio Moro, a highly respected figure of Brazilians.

However, the minister's image had been tarnished in 2019 by press reports that had seriously questioned his impartiality in the context of the conviction of former president Luiz Inacio lula da Silva for a heavy prison sentence, for corruption.

With AFP

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