In the early morning of Feb. 8, a fire destroyed part of the offices of the Brazilian newspaper Folha do Boqueirão in the city of Curitiba, Paraná, reported the website Bonde News.
City councilman Francisco Garcez, president of the city council's ethics committee, owned the newspaper. Last year, the committee investigated advertising expenses spent by the municipal organization while João Cláudio Derosso chaired the council, reported G1.
The fire damaged the newsroom, finance department and part of the building's reception area. An employee who was near the scene altered the fire department, saving the building from more damage. According to Paraná Online, a short circuit could have sparked the fire.
According to Garcez, the fire could have been arson. "Everything was in order. This fire is very strange since I have recently received threats. I sent a letter to the governor explaining everything. The authorities have to give an explanation for what happened here," the councilman told the website Banda B. When asked if the threats were related to the investigation of Derosso, Garcez said there were other matters being investigated by him.
