President Grants Privileged Jurisdiction to His Right Hand Man, Targeted by Investigation

02/03/2017 - 14h33

In the same week that the Brazilian Supreme Court confirmed 77 plea bargains of construction company Odebrecht, President Michel Temer granted minister status to Moreira Franco, one of his main advisors and allies.

Moreira was an executive secretary of the Partnerships in Investments Program and now will have privileged jurisdiction – he only can be judged by the Supreme Court.

Moreira Franco was cited 34 times in the plea bargain of Cláudio Melo Filho, Odebrecht's vice president of Institutional Relations. Melo Filho accused Franco of receiving money to defend the company's interests. Moreira Franco denies any misconduct.

As a new minister, Moreira Franco will lead the Presidency's General Secretariat, which had been extinct in 2015 by former president Dilma Rousseff.

The appointment of Moreira Franco occurred amid several changes in the federal cabinet announced by the government.

Breaking the promise made at the beginning of the Temer administration to reduce the number of ministries, the number rose from 26 to 28, four ministries short in comparison with the Dilma Rousseff administration.

The changes also increased the positions occupied by right-wing Brazilian Social Democracy Party, the main ally of the Temer administration in the government.

President Temer also changed the name of the Ministry of Justice, now called Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

Amid a prison crisis, lawmakers connected to the public security area asked Temer to create a structure aimed at Public Security only.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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