RIO DE JANEIRO, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday defended Minister of Justice Sergio Moro, after the revelation of messages that question his impartiality as a judge.
Bolsonaro defended Moro's actions as a judge in the Car Wash Operation case, a widely known corruption scandal that saw the conviction of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Since Sunday, online investigative journal "The Intercept Brazil" has disclosed conversations between Moro and the Car Wash Operation prosecutors, to whom he gave advice and hints about the case.
The messages put in doubt the impartiality of the investigation which led to prison sentences for dozens of businessmen and politicians, including Lula.
According to The Intercept Brazil, copies of the messages exchanged between the judge and the attorneys via a chat application on cell phone were provided by a source who asked to remain anonymous.
Last week, the Ministry of Justice and Public Safety revealed that there had been an attempt to break into Moro's cell phone, and the Federal Police announced they had opened an investigation.
In his public comments on the case, Bolsonaro said that what the minister did for Brazil is "priceless," and called the invasion of his cell phone "a criminal act," adding that "no one invented evidence" regarding Lula's sentence.
On April 7, 2018, Moro found Lula guilty of corruption and money laundering and sent him to prison for having received an apartment from the construction firm OAS.
