Brazil’s justice minister lamented on Sunday what he called the “criminal invasion” of the phones of several prosecutors involved in a sprawling anti-graft probe that has put dozens of top politicians and businessmen behind bars.
Justice Minister Sergio Moro, who led the “Operation Car Wash” investigation when he was a judge, put out a statement after the online news outlet The Intercept published articles showing what it says are messages between prosecutors and Moro related to investigations that led to the corruption conviction and jailing of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The federal prosecutors’ office issued its own statement confirming that phones were hacked. It strongly criticized the “hacker’s vile action,” saying the leak potentially threatens investigations that are underway and reveals prosecutors’ strategies. The statement also said the hack exposes aspects of the personal lives of prosecutors. Those hacked worked in the federal prosecutor’s office for Parana state.
The “Car Wash” probe was launched in 2014 to investigate billions of dollars in contracts given out by state-run oil company Petrobras.