Rio De Janeiro, Mar 25 (AFP) A Brazilian judge on Monday ordered the release of ex-president Michel Temer, days after the former leader was detained on allegations of being the leader of a "criminal organization."

The preventative detention of Temer, the 78-year-old predecessor of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, had no legal justification, judge Antonio Ivan Athie said in the ruling.

Athie extended the release order to former mines and energy minister Moreira Franco, who was also arrested Thursday along with several other people.

"I am not against the so-called Car Wash (investigation)," Athie said.

"I want to see our country free from the corruption that plagues it. However, without consitutional guarantees, guaranteed to all...there is no legitimacy in the fight against this plague." (AFP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)