Torres claims health problem, and PF cancels testimony – 04/24/2023 – Power

The Federal Police canceled the testimony of Anderson Torres that was scheduled for this Monday (24) after the lawyers of the former minister of the government Jair Bolsonaro (PL) allege “drastic worsening” of the investigated state of health.

According to Torres’ defense, he had a “worsening of his mental health” after Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the STF (Federal Supreme Court), denied a request for the release of the former minister, imprisoned since January.

“After becoming aware of the denial of the request for revocation of his preventive detention, the applicant’s emotional and cognitive state, which was already perilous, suffered a drastic worsening”, claims the defense.

Lawyer Eumar Novacki, in the request to the PF, points out that Anderson Torres received a certificate from a psychiatrist from the Health Department of the Federal District that said about the impossibility of the former minister “attend any hearing at the moment for medical reasons (medication adjustment ) for 1 week”.

“Despite this, the defense informs that the applicant, as soon as he is recovered, intends to cooperate in clarifying the facts under investigation, which is why he fights for the reassignment of his hearing”, he concludes.

Anderson Torres had been summoned to testify this Monday about the alleged use of the PRF (Federal Highway Police) in roadblocks in the second round of the presidential election, in October 2022, to make it difficult for voters to arrive for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to polling places.

The PF investigates a trip by the then minister to Bahia at the time. At the time, according to suspicions, Torres would have asked the PF to work with the PRF on the highways to carry out blitzes in places where Lula had received more votes than Jair Bolsonaro in the first round.

“What I can say is that there are multiple indications of reports, trips, commands, administrative determinations. And we have a very eloquent indication, the fact occurred: on the 31st of October [na verdade, 30] there were these so-called atypical operations”, said the Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, at the beginning of the month.