Leaked texts between a judge and prosecutors in Brazil put at risk the credibility of the country's justice system and a huge anti-corruption investigation
By Samantha Pearson and Luciana Magalhaes July 18, 2019 5:30 am ET SÃO PAULO—When Brazil’s celebrated corruption-fighting judge agreed to become President Jair Bolsonaro’s justice minister, he lent credibility to a leader who courted controversy. Eight months later, Sergio Moro is now himself the center of controversy.
While Brazil adheres to international guidelines that guarantee criminal defendants a fair trial and an impartial judge, the leaked messages appear to show Mr. Moro advising prosecutors on how to strengthen their case against Mr. da Silva, including passing on the contacts of a witness who could testify against him.
Glenn Greenwald, the left-wing American journalist whose Intercept website released the messages, said he did what was best for Brazilian citizens. “It’s not just or fair to withhold information from the public that the public should have,” he said in an interview. However, the scandal leaves the Car Wash investigation more vulnerable to attacks by politicians and others who have long opposed the operation, either because they see it as excessive or because they fear getting caught up in the probe themselves, legal experts said.
Brazil’s Supreme Court has come under renewed pressure to reverse convictions in the case, especially Mr. Moro’s ruling in 2017 that put Mr. da Silva in jail. The country’s top justices may rule as early as next month to free Mr. da Silva, although the former president faces other corruption charges that could return him to jail.
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