Anti-graft judge gets minister job

Jailed Brazilian president- elect’s rival

BRAZILIAN far-right president-elect Jair Bolsonaro has convinced crusading anti-graft Judge Sergio Moro to become his justice minister, the two said on Thursday, delighting supporters and enraging critics by hiring the jurist who jailed Bolsonaro’s chief political rival.

Moro oversaw the “Operation Car Wash” probe that sent former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to prison, blocking him from running against Bolsonaro.

A telegenic 46-year-old who has previously denied any political ambitions, Moro flew to Bolsonaro’s beachside Rio de Janeiro home on Thursday, where the two met before announcing the decision.

“His anti-corruption and anti-organised crime agenda, as well as his respect for the laws and the constitution will be our guide,” Bolsonaro tweeted.

The president-elect scored a clear political victory with the appointment of Moro, who gained cult following in Brazil after he locked up a string of politicians and businessmen.

But his appointment also gives ammunition to Bolsonaro’s opponents, who have long argued that the Car Wash probe was a politicised purge aimed at sidelining Lula and his leftist Workers Party (PT).

“Moro will be Bolsonaro’s minister after his decisive role in his election, by blocking Lula from running,” tweeted PT president Gleisi Hoffmann. “Fraud of the century!”

Moro’s decision to work with Bolsonaro brings risks. The president-elect has a history of making racist, misogynist and homophobic comments, as well as remarks dismissive of democratic institutions, although he has pledged repeatedly in recent days to respect the constitution.

“The opportunity to implement a strong anti-corruption and anti-organized crime agenda, with respect for the constitution, the law and rights, led me to take this decision,” Moro said. He added that he would hand over the reins of the Car Wash investigation to other judges.

As justice minister, Moro will have oversight of the federal police and federal public security, a crucial appointment for Bolsonaro, who has pledged to aggressively combat corruption and violent crime.

In a TV interview, Bolsonaro said Moro would have broad licence to pick his own staff. Although public security is not one of Moro’s specialties, his reliance on good advisers will allow him to make the right decisions, Bolsonaro added.

In 2016, Moro said he would never enter politics, keeping the focus on his graft-fighting crusade in the courts. But the rise of Bolsonaro, a seven-term congressman who has cast himself as a political maverick untainted by graft allegations, appears to have changed the judge’s mind.

Moro, who was floated as a possible presidential candidate in the run-up to this year’s election, has seen his profile rise quickly as his name became synonymous with probes targeting a corrupt political establishment.

Early last year, Moro enjoyed the support of nearly two-thirds of Brazilians in opinion polls. That figure dropped sharply after he sentenced Lula, who is still remembered fondly for reducing inequality during his 2003-2011 presidency.

Bolsonaro is expected to announce a full cabinet this month, ahead of his January 1 inauguration. At his first formal news conference on Thursday, he gave fresh details of his agenda.

He left the door open to reverse a proposal to merge the environmental and agricultural ministries after criticism.

Bolsonaro’s election as Brazilian president has sparked deep concerns among the country’s gay and trans people about a future under a leader with a history of homophobia.

In 2011, Bolsonaro told a reporter he would prefer his son to “die in a car crash” than be gay. Two years later, he called himself a “proud homophobe”