Published 01:26 IST, October 31st 2019
Bolsonaro denies allegations of being linked to politician's murder
Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro has furiously denied all allegations of being linked to the murder of the leftist city councilor, says he has no reason to kill.
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President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro has furiously denied all allegations of being linked to the murder of the leftist city councillor on October 30. President Bolsonaro who is currently visiting Saudi Arabia for the diplomatic tour said during a 24-minute live broadcast on YouTube said that he has 'no reason to kill anyone in Rio de Janeiro'. He further accused II Globo of 'rotten and unscrupulous journalism'. The reports of the murder investigation revealed that the suspects visited President's residence prior to the assassination of the Brazilian politician, Marielle Franco.
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Drive-by shooting
Marielle Franco, the leftist city councillor in Rio de Janeiro was shot dead alongside her driver in March 2018. Franco's drive-by shooting was described by the investigators as a 'summary execution'. The now-deleted post of one of the two suspects of the murder had apparently even posted a photograph with Bolsonaro on Facebook. Furthermore, the suspect also lives in the same residential complex in Rio de Janeiro as the President. These coincidences have been dismissed by the Brazilian police officials as a 'coincidence'. Authorities also believe that the suspects arranged for the firearms to be hidden at sea with the help of a fisherman who later testified that he was paid $75. Two former police officials are already arrested on suspicion of being involved in Franco's killing.
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Report by Brazilian news channel
The TV network Globo, who published a report on Tuesday night saying that the first suspect visited the President's building, telling the doorman that he wants to meet Bolsonaro who was a presidential candidate at that time. However, reportedly the first susp[ect then visited the second suspect's home. This report received a fierce response from the Brazilian President and questioned their ethics of journalism. Since President Bolsonaro took office in January, he has been a target of huge nationwide demonstrations fueled by the policies introduced by him like education budget cuts to gun laws.
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(With PTI inputs)
01:26 IST, October 31st 2019