The Berlin public prosecutor's office has joined the investigation into a German consular official who was charged with a murder allegedly committed in Rio de Janeiro.

The German legal authority had prepared a request for legal assistance to Brazilian authorities, a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office said.

Late Monday, a Brazilian judge ordered the arrest of German diplomat Uwe H. over the alleged murder of his Belgian husband, Walter Biot. The consul had reportedly already left Brazil and arrived in Frankfurt by the time the judge announced his decision.

What is the consul charged with?

Uwe H. was arrested in Brazil in early August after the death of his husband.

The suspect was freed on Friday, however, when a local court ruled that prosecutors had missed the initial deadline to press charges against him.

After his release, the Rio de Janeiro prosecutor's office charged the consul with aggravated murder. Judge Gustavo Kalil ordered Uwe H. to again be arrested.

The judge also asked Interpol to add the diplomat's name to its wanted list and that the German and Belgian embassies be briefed about the case.

Multiple media reports said the consul had flown out of Brazil following his release and arrived in Frankfurt on Monday. The Rio de Janeiro prosecutor's office said it was investigating the claim.

Why do police suspect the consul?

Uwe H. told police that Biot had suffered a sudden illness and died after collapsing in their apartment in the upscale neighborhood of Ipanema. Police arrested the diplomat after forensic investigations found bloodstains in the apartment and an autopsy of Biot's body showed multiple wounds. Based on the autopsy report, authorities believe a blow to the back of the head caused the Belgian citizen's death.

"The crime was committed with cruel means: severe beating to which the victim was subjected, causing intense and unnecessary suffering," prosecutors said in a document on Monday. They added that Biot was unable to defend himself as he had ingested alcohol and anxiety medication.

*Editor's note: DW follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and urges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases.

sdi/nm (Reuters, dpa)