Brazilian judge cancels former environment minister’s passport during probe | Environmental News

Ricardo Salles resigned earlier this week on charges of accepting illegal timber exports from the Amazon.

The Brazilian Supreme Court has annulled the passport of former Environment Minister Ricardo Salles, who resigned earlier this week over his alleged role in the Amazon jungle to allow illegal timber exports.

Judge Carmen Lucia said in a ruling that Salles banned her from leaving the country after federal prosecutors filed a motion to consider her a flight risk.

The former minister was given 24 hours to hand over his passport to the police, according to court documents.

Salles could not be reached immediately for comment. The former minister has denied being wrong.

In May, federal police announced they were investigating Salles and several other government officials on charges of possible corruption and other crimes for allowing illegal timber from the Amazon rainforest to be exported to the United States and Europe.

Earlier this month, Lucia also launched an investigation to find out whether Salles obstructed the police record probe.

Salles resigned on Wednesday, saying he wanted to allow Brazil to make the international and domestic agenda as quick as possible.

During Salles ’tenure, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon increased, and in 2020 it reached seven times the size of London, which reached a seven-year high.