The Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin).
The Federal Police will investigate the software that allowed to control the movements of up to 10,000 people every 12 months.
The Brazilian Public Ministry opened a preliminary investigation into a secret system that the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) bought during the government of Jair Bolsonaro to monitor the location of citizens through their cell phones.
On a note, pickup According to the press, prosecutor Peterson de Paula Pereira explained that “the alleged illegal use of a system capable of monitoring the location of any person through the cell phone number by Abin” will be investigated.
This decision is made after the newspaper or globe revealed that during the first three years of the ultra-right’s mandate, Abin used this program that allowed, without any official protocolcontrol the movements of up to 10,000 people every 12 months.
Abin confirmed in a note, which was also echoed by the press, that the software began to be used on December 26, 2018 – during the government of Michel Temer – and ended on May 8, 2021.
“The technological solution in question is no longer in use at Abin since then. The agency is currently in process of improvement and revision of its regulations internal, in line with public interests and the commitment to the Democratic State of Law”, assured.
The new administration of the agency requested a report on all the people who were monitored and recommended the resignation of the agents involved.
On the other hand, the federal deputy and then director of the agency, Alexandre Ramagem, wrote in the networks that the program did not constitute irregularities.
“In 2019, upon taking possession of the body, we formally verified the legal support of all contracts. For this tool, we install specific fixes to affirm its regular use within the law by its administrators, complying with transparency and austerity”, he stated.
Investigate and sanction
For its part, the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva promised to investigate and punish those responsible for using the tool.
The Minister of Justice and Public Security, Flávio Dino, affirmed this Wednesday that the Federal Police will investigate the use of the program.
“I am going to ask the Federal Police to open an investigation into this complaint about Abin because we had evidence of misuse of equipment,” he said.
This month, Lula decreed to transfer Abin, until now integrated into the only ministry commanded by a military man, to the Ministry of the Civil House.
The measure seeks demilitarize intelligence services and it comes almost two months after the violent attacks by Bolsonaro radicals on the headquarters of the three powers in Brasilia, on January 8.
After the assaults, Lula publicly expressed his distrust and accused Abin –very militarized during the Bolsonaro government– and the ministry to which it belonged, the Institutional Security Cabinet (GSI), of omission.
President named the former director of the Federal Police Luiz Fernando Correa as the new head of the agency.
