Silvinei Vasques tells the 8/1 CPI that the PRF is the target of the ‘greatest injustice’ in history – 06/20/2023 – Politics

The former general director of the PRF (Federal Highway Police) Silvinei Vasques stated to the CPI on January 8 this Tuesday (20) that the corporation is the target of the “greatest injustice” in history, and that the Northeast region concentrates the greatest country’s bus fleet.

The CPI’s first deponent, Vasques was summoned because of inspections on federal highways in the second round of elections. The suspicion is that, under his command, the PRF tried to make it difficult for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) voters to get to the polls.

“This is not true. Because it is in the Brazilian Northeast that we have nine states, nine superintendencies. We have the largest PRF structure in Brazil, the largest number of PRF units”, he said in a statement.

“In the states of the Northeast, the largest staff of the institution is [PRF] and there is the largest road network of federal highways. The highest number of accidents and the largest fleet of buses in Brazil”, he added, denying that the corporation had tried to disrupt voters.

Since last year, he has been investigated for three acts, all related to a possible favoring of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) during the election campaign. He was removed from office on December 20.

In addition to the suspicion surrounding the PRF operation —especially in cities in the Northeast region— Vasques declared his vote for Bolsonaro on the morning of the second round, and is accused of having been lenient during the road blockade after Lula’s victory.

With Vasques’ testimony, Lula’s base at the CPI wants to bring Bolsonaro and former Minister of Justice Anderson Torres to the center of investigations. With Lula’s victory, Torres returned to being secretary of public security for the Federal District and was at the head of the portfolio on January 8.

This Tuesday, the CPI also approved the appointment of former minister of the GSI (Institutional Security Office) Gonçalves Dias, former head of Abin (Brazilian Intelligence Agency) Saulo Moura da Cunha and army colonel Jean Lawand Junior.