The government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) informed the STF (Supreme Federal Court) that there were no expenses with the trip of councilor Carlos Bolsonaro (Republicans-RJ) to Russia last month. The president’s son accompanied the presidential entourage, even though he does not have a position in the federal administration.
The information was sent this Monday (14) to Minister Alexandre de Moraes, the STF’s rapporteur for the investigation into the performance of a digital militia aimed at attacks against democracy.
However, it was not indicated how the transport, accommodation and consumption expenses of the Rio councilor were defrayed. The trip took place between the 14th and 17th of February.
The response to the magistrate consisted of official letters from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic. In addition to possible expenses and per diems, Moraes requested data on Carlos’ agenda, which was not detailed. There was only indication of Bolsonaro’s commitments.
The government claimed that the official agenda and the appointment of the presidential delegation in the acts of international representation of the country “have a political character, differing from the ordinary administrative act due to its exclusively discretionary nature”.
THE sheet tried to contact Carlos Bolsonaro through his office in the Chamber of Rio, but there was no response until the publication of this text. What motivated the request for information ordered by Moraes was a request from Senator Randolfe Rodrigues (Rede-AP), made within the scope of the investigation of the digital militia.
The parliamentarian raised suspicions about the “real reason for a trip to Russia at such a delicate international moment, with a sui generis entourage, with the absence of ministers and the presence of numerous members of his ‘hate cabinet’, and at the beginning of the election year “.
Term used to designate a group of presidential advisors with a strong presence on social networks and investigated in inquiries that are being processed in the Supreme Court, the “hate office” is supervised by Carlos. The existence of the structure was revealed by the sheet in 2019.
In its statement, the General Secretariat of the Presidency stated that Randolfe draws conclusions when questioning the reasons for Carlos and presidential advisors going to Russia. It states that the senator’s request “raises imputations to public agents, as a result of the regular exercise of their attributions, on actions that supposedly would substantiate eventual illegalities/irregularities”.
He also defends Bolsonaro himself: “It should be noted that both with regard to the object of the initial investigation that justified the initiation of the present investigation and from the petition presented herein [de autoria de Randolfe]we are authorized to defend the insubstantiation of the arguments that the President of the Republic may have committed any irregularity”.
The answer was signed by Silton Batista Lima Bezerra, General Coordinator of Institutional Affairs Sub-chief for Legal Affairs of the General Secretariat of the Presidency.
