Brazil's President Michel Temer, left, and Brazil's Defense Minister Raul Jungmann embrace during a ceremony at the Planalto Presidential Palace to inaugurate the newly created public security ministry as part of efforts to combat high crime rates, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018. Jungmann will head the new ministry, and a general will be interim minister of defense. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
February 27, 2018 - 2:12 PM
RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazil's new public security minister has fired the head of the country's federal police following public remarks he made on an investigation into President Michel Temer.
A spokeswoman for security minister Raul Jungmann said Tuesday he has decided to replace police chief Fernando Segovia, who was appointed by Temer a little more than three months ago.
Segovia's replacement will be national security secretary Rogerio Galloro.
Segovia was publicly criticized for suggesting in a media interview that an ongoing investigation into Temer would be discarded.
A Supreme Court justice ordered Segovia to clarify his remarks, and Brazil's top prosecutor said he should not discuss federal police probes in public.
Segovia is considered to be close to Temer's political allies.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018