Brazilian television presenter and politician, Wallace Souza and his son Rafael have been charged with orchestrating at least five killings to boost the ratings of his show and eliminate his competition.
It is alleged that killings orchestrated by the ex-police officer allowed his news team to reach crime scenes before they could be attended by police, but the charges go further and suggest a motive beyond ratings. Investigators are also claiming that Souza is involved in the drug trade and that the victims, who were drug dealers, were also his rivals.
Souza’s relatively short career as a police officer began in 1979 and ended in 1986, when he was forced to resign over an entrance examination fraud scheme. At the time, Brazil was a military dictatorship and police tactics were known to be especially brutal, even by the today’s standards.
Wallace Souza has denied all charges and stated that there is no material proof to support any of the allegations that have been made against him.
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[BBC]
