MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Carlos Bolsonaro's premises raided in “parallel Abin” case

Federal Police seized the former president's son's cell phone and three computers

Rio de Janeiro Councilman Carlos Bolsonaro has been accused of invoking his kinship to then-President Jair Bolsonaro to get information from Brazil's Intelligence Agency Abin about an ongoing investigation targeting his family, Agencia Brasil reported Monday.

Brazil's Federal Police (PF) is investigating whether Carlos Bolsonaro engaged his advisers to illegally request information through the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin). As part of this probe, the former head of state's son's house was raided.

Carlos Bolsonaro's aide Luciana Almeida allegedly contacted Priscila Pereira e Silva, an advisor to former Abin Director Alexandre Ramagem, to request “help” from the so-called “parallel Abin,” the news service also noted. According to a WhatsApp message included in the dossier, the request involved data on the investigations against Jair Bolsonaro and his children.

”Good morning. How are you? I really need some help. PF Delegate. Dr. Isabela Muniz Ferreira - PF Special Inquiries Police Station Inquiries: 73.630 / 73.637 (Involving PR and 3 children).Clerk: Henry Basílio Moura“, reads the message.

After evaluating the seized material, the PF began to suspect that the contacts between Carlos Bolsonaro and Ramagem were made through his advisors. ”It is noteworthy that, as can be seen from IPJ 183071/2024, the communication between the investigated del. Alexandre Ramagem and Carlos Bolsonaro take place primarily through their respective advisors,“ the PF report underlines.

”The evidence gathered so far significantly indicates that the criminal organization infiltrated into Abin also used illegal methods to carry out clandestine actions directed against people ideologically qualified as opponents, as well as to unduly monitor the progress of investigations against political allies,” wrote Federal Supreme Court (STF) Justice Alexandre De Moraes on authorizing the search and seizure measures. Last Thursday, he also issued warrants against federal Deputy Alexandre Ramagem (PL-RJ), director-general of Abin during Jair Bolsonaro's government.

Ramagem, police officers, and PF delegates assigned to Abin, as well as agency employees, allegedly participated in a criminal organization to illegally spy on opponents through Israeli software. In is estimated that 33,000 illegal accesses were carried out on the Brazilian telephone network through an Abin geolocation system to monitor Federal Supreme Court (STF) workers among other targets. The case is known as the “parallel Abin.”

Federal Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, Carlos' brother, posted on social media that the operation was an “illegal and immoral act.”

Attorney General Paulo Gonet requested a series of raids on homes linked to Carlos Bolsonaro, who is a councilor of the city of Rio de Janeiro, considering him a member of what is called the “political nucleus” of a criminal organization active in the Abin.

The police raid was carried out at Carlos Bolsonaro's private home, his office in the Rio de Janeiro City Council, and the family's summer house in Angra dos Reis. Carlos' cell phone was seized in addition to three computers, it was reported.

“They want to make fun of me, make me feel ashamed,” Carlos Bolsonaro told “Folha de Sao Paulo.” But that “is not going to happen,” he added.