Federal Police issues crime notification against Salles for hindering investigation of illegal lumber seizure

After the Environment minister Ricardo Salles and Alexandre Saraiva, superintendent of the Federal Police in Amazonas, exchanged accusations because of disagreements over the destination of the 43,000 logs of illegal timber seized in Pará in December, the Federal Police sent a crime notification against the Minister of the Environment to the president of the Federal Supreme Court, the Federal Public Prosecutor, and the general direction of the Federal Police.

While the Federal Police, responsible for the operation, points out that the timber retained in the largest seizure in the country’s history is the result of deforestation, the Minister of the Environment, opposed to his duties, stood for the legality of the cargo, in a gesture of support directed to the loggers who are under investigation.

According to Veja, which anticipated the information, in addition to Salles, the complaint also encompasses senator Telmário Mota (Pros) and the president of Ibama, Eduardo Bim. One day after the crime notification, the Federal Police announced the exoneration of Alexandre Saraiva, the author of the complaint, from his position as superintendent of the Federal Police in the state of Amazonas.