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Brazil: Former Bolsonaro government minister arrested

Anderson Torres, Brazil’s Justice Minister under President Jair Bolsonaro, who was in charge of public security in Brasilia during invasion of government buildings by supporters of the former president last Sundaywas arrested today, Saturday, in the Brazilian capital on suspicion of “omissions” and “collusion”.

Torres was arrested at Brasilia airport upon his return to the country. He was on vacation in Florida, the same US state where Bolsonaro went, after losing last year’s election.

One of Torres’ lawyers confirmed the arrest to Reuters.

The former minister had said on Thursday that evidence found by police from the raid on his home had been distorted.

Alejandro de Moraes, Judge of the Supreme Court, issued an arrest warrant for Torres on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear what the charges werebut Moraes spoke of alleged “omissions” and “collusion” of the former minister.

The director general of the Federal Police, Andrey Rodríguez, said earlier in the week that “the various omissions, allegedly deliberate, made by those responsible for public security in the Federal District contributed to the organization of terrorist acts.”

Brazilian police found a draft decree at Torres’ home on Thursday that they said appeared to be a proposal to interfere in the October election result that Bolsonaro lost to Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.

According to Anderson Torres, the document was “leaked in bits and pieces” after it was seized when he was not at his residence and was likely part of a pile of documents to be destroyed.

Upon learning of Moraes’ arrest warrant, Torres said on Twitter on Tuesday that he would cut short his vacation and return to Brazil to surrender.

Justice Minister Flavio Dino had given Torres until Monday to return, saying he would begin extradition proceedings after that deadline.

Source: News Beast

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