Brazil’s Supreme Court cancels session as political crisis deepens

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Supreme Court canceled a second consecutive session of deliberations on Thursday, a rare step that highlights its deep institutional and political crisis.

Suspicions of graft, political bias and police interference loom over several of its members, and the turmoil is already spilling into October’s national elections.

Chief-Justice Luiz Edson Fachin ordered the cancellation Thursday, reconvening for Tuesday, when the court is not usually in session. The full court of 10 justices will analyze whether one of them, Alexandre de Moraes, should be investigated for alleged links to the owner of failed Banco Master, which was shuttered after allegations of fraud.

The turmoil at the court erupted on Sept. 1 with Justice André Mendonca, a Bolsonaro appointee, unsealing federal police documents that showed banker Daniel Vorcaro repeatedly sought legal advice from de Moraes. The animosity between de Moraes and Mendonca has only grown since.

De Moraes, a conservative, was hailed as a hero by Lula supporters after he sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison last year for an attempted coup. Mendonca was Bolsonaro’s solicitor-general before reaching Brazil’s top court.

Earlier this week, de Moraes shot back and requested an inquiry into an alleged abuse of power by Mendonca for interviewing the banker without the presence of policemen or prosecutors.

Both President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his rival in the upcoming elections — the former president’s son, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro — are now demanding investigations into the Supreme Court justices, along party lines.

Brazil’s federal police leadership is also at stake, as competing Supreme Court decisions this week removed and then reinstated its director-general, also as part of the cross fire between justices.

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