Brazil's attorney general asks top court to drop case against Bolsonaro

[February 18, 2022]    SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian Attorney General Augusto Aras asked the Supreme Court to shelve an investigation into President Jair Bolsonaro, who was accused of disclosing sensitive information regarding a probe into the alleged hacking of the Superior Electoral Court's computer networks last year.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro looks on during a ceremony at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil February 11, 2022. REUTERS/Adriano Machado

In a statement late on Thursday, Aras said the probe was not under seal, concluding "there is no crime" in discussing it on social media.

In August 2021, during a live video address on social media, Bolsonaro discussed details of the inquiry regarding the alleged hacking scheme, using the case to question the integrity of the country's electoral process.

The federal police accused Bolsonaro of committing a crime by publicly revealing details about a sealed criminal probe, but said they would not recommend charging him given his immunity while in office.

(Reporting by Ana Mano; Editing by Christina Fincher)

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