(MENAFN) Brazil's Supreme Federal Court has ordered President Jair Bolsonaro to testify to federal police within 10 days in connection to the ransacking and invasion that occurred on Jan. 8. The investigation has been opened with the objective to provide a "complete investigation" around what took place on Jan. 8 and lists a number of potential crimes, including "incitement to crime" against Brazil's three powers in the capital, Brasilia.
The document signed by Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the hearing of Bolsonaro is "an indispensable measure towards the complete clarification of the investigated facts." Upholding the request made by authorities, De Moraes also set a 10-day deadline. Bolsonaro returned to Brazil in March after spending three months in the US prior to the inauguration of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
On Jan. 8, Bolsonaro supporters managed to invade and ransack the Planalto Palace, Congress, and the Supreme Federal Court until they were contained by security forces. In the aftermath, Lula alleged that Bolsonaro rallied his base on social media and through public speeches, a charge Bolsonaro has denied.
The order for Bolsonaro to testify is a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the Jan. 8 ransacking. It highlights the seriousness with which Brazilian authorities are treating the incident and their determination to get to the bottom of what happened. Bolsonaro's testimony will be a crucial piece of evidence in the investigation and could shed light on his involvement in the events of that day.
Bolsonaro is currently under investigation by authorities due to allegations that he and his entourage attempted to illegally bring USD3.2 million worth of luxury jewelry from the Saudi Arabian government without declaring them in 2021. The items were seized by customs officials in October of that year after being discovered in a backpack of a government aide. The investigation into the jewelry incident is ongoing and is separate from the investigation into the Jan. 8 ransacking.
The order for Bolsonaro to testify comes at a time of political turmoil in Brazil, with Bolsonaro facing mounting criticism over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his policies on the environment and human rights. The outcome of the investigation into the Jan. 8 ransacking could have significant implications for Bolsonaro's political future, as well as for the stability of Brazil's democratic institutions.
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