Tuesday, 12th November 2024

Brazil: Bolsonaro wants Moro on the Supreme Court

Sergio Moro has been the driving force behind an anti-corruption probe known as Operation Car Wash

Tuesday, 30th October 2018

Brazil's far-right President-elect Jair Bolsonaro says he wants the country's best-known anti-corruption judge to be justice minister or to serve on the Supreme Court.

Sergio Moro has been the driving force behind an anti-corruption probe known as Operation Car Wash.

In his first TV interview since being elected, Bolsonaro also underlined his campaign pledge to loosen gun laws.

The former army captain won a sweeping election victory on Sunday.

Bolsonaro's populist approach has led to some media dubbing him "Trump of the Tropics".

He said he intended to speak to Judge Sergio Moro "soon" and invite him to the justice ministry or to the Supreme Court.

He said Moro would be a person "of extreme importance in a government like ours".

Relaxing gun laws was one of his flagship policies and he has suggested that "every honest citizen" should be able to own a gun.

Critics warn that such a move would only worsen violent crime in Brazil.

The federal judge has been in charge of a major investigation into claims that executives at the state oil company Petrobras accepted bribes in return for awarding contracts to construction firms.

Operation Car Wash uncovered a huge web of corruption involving top-level politicians from a broad spectrum of parties.

However, the judge has also been criticised by many, especially those in the left-wing Workers' Party after jailing former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on corruption charges. They say the former president has been the victim of a political witch-hunt.