Brazil Supreme Court rift deepens as justice suspends federal police chief
Justice Andre Mendonca of Brazil's Supreme Court ordered the suspension of federal police chief Andrei Rodrigues and intelligence chief Leandro Almada, accusing them of producing six illegal reports on justices. The decision, backed by a majority of one five-member court panel, has deepened a public rift on the court and risks dragging the government into a political fight ahead of the October presidential vote.
Why It Matters
The dispute pits justices against one another at a sensitive moment in Brazil's election calendar and involves senior federal law-enforcement figures, raising questions about the court's impartiality and the independence of the police. With polls showing a close race ahead of the first-round vote, the conflict could influence political narratives and litigation tied to high-profile figures.
Key Facts
- Ordering justice: Andre Mendonca
- Suspended officials: Federal police chief Andrei Rodrigues and intelligence chief Leandro Almada
- Allegation: Production of six illegal reports on the activities of justices
- Panel decision: Backed by a majority on one of the Supreme Court's five-member panels
- Government reaction: Institutional Relations Minister Jose Guimaraes called the measure suspiciously electoral
A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has ordered the temporary removal of two senior Federal Police officials, escalating a dispute that has fractured the country’s highest court. Justice Andre Mendonca announced the suspension of federal police chief Andrei Rodrigues and the force’s intelligence chief, Leandro Almada, accusing them of producing six unlawful intelligence reports targeting justices. The move received backing from a majority on one of the court’s five-member panels. The decision is likely to be contested by the government and could entangle President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s administration in a political battle as the presidential contest approaches. Institutional Relations Minister Jose Guimaraes accepted that investigating potential crimes was legitimate but warned the action appeared politically timed; polls cited in reporting show a narrow gap between Lula and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of the first-round vote on October 4. The suspensions sit within a broader and increasingly public clash between Mendonca and fellow justice Alexandre de Moraes. The two have traded allegations: Mendonca last week released a report suggesting possible links between de Moraes and banker Daniel Vorcaro, while de Moraes replied by accusing Mendonca of abusing his authority and pointing to federal police intelligence documents as part of his complaint. Mendonca has challenged the legality of those intelligence reports. The controversy overlaps with a widening corruption investigation. Banker Daniel Vorcaro was arrested in 2025 on allegations of running one of Brazil’s largest bank-fraud schemes, and the probe has implicated figures across the political spectrum. Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has faced scrutiny over contacts with Vorcaro after seeking help to fund a film about his father, Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence. The senator hailed the suspensions as confirmation of political targeting, while the federal police’s executive director, William Marcel Murad, publicly expressed full confidence in Rodrigues and urged agents not to be unsettled by the dispute.
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Original source: Al Jazeera