Former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) was not indicted by the Federal Police (PF) at the conclusion of the investigation that investigated the alleged harassment of a humpback whale on a watercraft ride, in São Sebastião, on the coast of São Paulo.
Now, the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) will be able to request further action from the police, close the investigation or even file a complaint with the Federal Court.
The case happened in June last year. The investigation was investigating whether the former president, riding the watercraft, had come closer to the whale than was permitted by law. The minimum distance with the engine running is 100 meters.
Ibama accused Bolsonaro of recording a video riding the watercraft and approaching the whale, at a distance of approximately 15 meters from the animal.
In addition to the former president, his advisor and lawyer, Fabio Wajngarten, who even provided clarifications to the police for being on the tour, was also not indicted by the PF. In that case, Bolsonaro gave testimony for around two hours at the PF headquarters in São Paulo, in February this year.
Upon leaving the statement, lawyer Daniel Tesser said he hoped the investigation against Bolsonaro would be closed. “The president explained how the situation was, it was clearly established, as in the first opinion of the Public Ministry, that there was no harassment, there was none of the criminal-type hypotheses that they are trying to charge against the president due to the sighting of the whale”, explained the lawyer.
“The president took all precautions, from the moment he saw the whale, which is what the law determines and what was complied with”, added the lawyer,
