Brazil: Federal prosecutors say acts of Senate security officers were illegal
The Federal Police has searched the premisses of the congressional police at the Senate for about three hours early this Friday (Oct. 21) and took out 10 bags of documents and electronic equipment used to search for covert listening devices.
After four Senate security officers were arrested, accused of tampering with investigations of Operation Car Wash, senators denied the illegality of the acts carried out by the officers in search of wiretaps at the private addresses of lawmakers. Three senators allegedly benefited from these acts: Gleisi Hoffmann, of the PT, Fernando Collor, of the PTC, and Edison Lobão, of the PMDB. Ex-senator and onetime president José Sarney also would have searched wiretaps at his house.
For federal prosecutors, although these searches are prescribed by the Rules of the Senate, they were considered an obstruction of justice for having used public funds for acts of counter-intelligence outside the National Congress at the addresses of lawmakers probed by the Supreme Court. The argument was accepted by the Federal Court, which authorized the arrests.
In response, Senate President Renan Calheiros issued a note, in which he states that "the congressional police carries out its activities as prescribed by the Constitution, the legal rules, and the Senate's istrative regulations." He adds that "searches for covert listening devices are restricted to illegal devices, as provided for in the Rules. "
Senate President Renan Calheiros issued a note, in which he states that "the congressional police carries out its activities as prescribed by the Constitution, the legal rules, and the Senate's istrative regulations."
Senators defend themselves
Senator Gleisi Hoffmann itted that she had requested Senate security officers to electronically search for covert listening devices at her houses in Brasília and Curitiba. The request was made after her husband, former planning minister Paulo Bernardo, was arrested in a Federal Police operation. In a statement, she explained: "I just wanted to get an accurate information about my residence." According to her, nothing was found.
Senator Edison Lobão's defense also itted that the senator asked for searches at his private addresses, but in search of illegal listening devices, not authorized by the court, adding that nothing was found.
"There is no irregularity in this request, this task is performed by the congressional police," said lawyer Antonio Carlos de Almeida Castro to Agência Brasil. He denied that the onetime president and ex-senator, José Sarney, who is also his client, had requested any search of this kind.
Senator Fernando Collor issued a statement in which he also denies having benefited "from any act of the Senate security officers out of their institutional functions."
Seizures and arrests
The Federal Police has searched the premisses of the congressional police at the Senate for about three hours early this Friday (Oct. 21) and took out 10 bags of documents and electronic equipment used to search for covert listening devices.
Four Senate security officers were arrested, one of them is the congressional police director himself, Pedro Ricardo Carvalho, who is close to Renan Calheiros. They will face charges of armed criminal conspiracy, malfeasance in office, and tampering with investigations of criminal offenses. Combined, they can carry jail of 14 years and a fine.
Translated by Amarílis Anchieta
Fonte: Brazil: Federal prosecutors say acts of Senate security officers were illegal
