Brazil TV crime
12 August 2009
A Brazilian TV presenter has been accused of ordering killings to get rid of drug trafficking rivals and to boost his ratings. Wallace Souza, a state legislator, says the claims are an attempt by political rivals to smear him.
Listen:
If what the police say is true then this is the TV show that not only reported crime but was actually behind it as well. For the authorities believe that state legislator and presenter Wallace Souzacommissioned at least five murders in order to get rid of drug trafficking rivals and to boost his programme ratings. They also say he wanted to prove his claims that the region he represented in the state of Amazonas was plagued with crime. A local police chief told the Associated Press that the order to execute always came from the presenter and his son, and that TV crews were alerted to get to the scene of the crime first. State Security Secretary Francisco Cavalcanti says the truth has now become clear.
Manaus Public Security Secratary, Francisco Cavalcanti: “On several occasions they fabricated the facts, they fabricated news.”
Wallace Souza faces a variety of charges including drug trafficking and weapons possession but remains free because for the momenthis political role gives him immunity. His son Rafael meanwhile has been arrested on charges of murder, drug trafficking and illegally possessing guns.
Lawyers for Mr Souza, a former policeman who was expelled from the force, say the accusations are an attempt to smear him and that there is not one piece of material proof to back the police claims.
Gary Duffy, BBC News, Brazil
Vocabulary:
behind it as well: also responsible for it (here, crime)
commissioned: told or ordered someone to do something and paid for it
to boost his programme ratings: to increase his programme’s popularity, to get more people to watch it
plagued with: very badly affected by something bad (here, crime)
the order to execute: the command to do something (here, to kill)
fabricated: made up, invented or said things that weren’t true
his political role gives him immunity: because he’s a political officer (a state legislator) he can’t be charged with a crime
expelled from the force: made to, or forced to leave his job in the police department (or police force)
smear: accuse someone of something which is unpleasant, unreasonable or unlikely to be true and which is made publicly with the intention of harming that person’s reputation
not one piece of material proof: no solid evidence, evidence that you can see or touch
