“The Bugger Was Veja’s Source on Bug,” II

OCULAR PROOF OF THE IMPENDING APOCALYPSE: “They are watching us. Even the Presidency and the Supreme Court suspect they have been targeted for espionage. No one is safe. This is the end of privacy in Brazil.” Below the dek: a facsimile of the leaked report by Supreme Court security (full-size available to subscribers only.) The Brazilian spy agency called Veja’s reporting “irresponsible,” in a press release. Source: Veja.com

A follow-up to

• “The Bugger Was Veja’s Source on Bug”: Rumor

O Globo reports that the source of Veja magazine exposé charging the Brazilian National Intelligence Agency (ABIN) with bugging the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court may have been the head of ASBIN, a union representing ABIN agents, a fellow named Nery Kluwe.

This is an odd thing to learn, if true, because Kluwe had been widely quoted in the press as defending the agency against this (so far unsubstantiated) charge by Veja.

In a 6 September interview with the Folha de S. Paulo, for example:

A denúncia do suposto grampo contra o presidente do STF, Gilmar Mendes é resultado de um complô contra o delegado Paulo Lacerda. Essa é a opinião do presidente da Asbin (Associação de Servidores da Abin), Nery Kluwe de Aguiar Filho, que representa os agentes secretos: “Estamos vivendo um complô contra um alvo determinado que é o dr. Lacerda”. Kluwe nega a participação de colegas no grampo. Para ele, “o grampo é privado”: “Essa conta de arapongagem não é nossa!”

Accusations about the alleged wiretapping of the Chief Justice are the result of a plot against ABIN director Paulo Lacerda. This is the opinion of ASBIN (The Assocation of ABIN Employees) president  Nery Kluwe de Aguiar Filho, who represents the secret agents: “We are witnessing a plot against a specific target, Dr. Lacerda.” He denies that his colleagues played a part in the wiretapping. In his view, “this bug was private.” “You can’t pin this bugging rap on us!”

Kluwe’s defense of Lacerda later switched gears into calls for his ouster.

According to the O Globo report, Kluwe is the subject of two internal disciplinary proceedings at the agency, where Lacerda instituted an internal affairs department to investigate misconduct by agents, a measure reportedly resented by many. O Globo:

Investigações da Comissão de Sindicância do Gabinete de Segurança Institucional (GSI) apontam o presidente da Associação dos Servidores da Abin (Asbin), Nery Kluwe, como um dos principais suspeitos de participar da operação que resultou na produção e divulgação de trechos de uma conversa do presidente do Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF), Gilmar Mendes, com o senador Demóstenes Torres (DEM-GO). O ministro-chefe do GSI, general Jorge Félix, tratou do assunto com dirigentes da Abin, na quinta-feira. Sindicalista há longo tempo, Kluwe lidera uma campanha interna para tirar o delegado Paulo Lacerda em caráter definitivo do comando da Abin.

An internal investigation by the Office of Institutional Security (GSI) point to ASBIN president Kluwe as one of the principal suspects of having taken part in an operation that resulted in the production and publication of excerpts from a phone conversation between the Chief Justice and Sen. Torres. GSI director Jorge Félix met with ABIN leaders about the matter Thursday. A long-time unionist, Kluwe is leading an internal campaign to remove Lacerda permanently from command of ABIN.