Gilmar Mendes see no impediments of STF ministers to judge Bolsonaro

Minister Gilmar Mendes of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), said on Tuesday (25) that there are no grounds to remove ministers from the judgment of the complaint against former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in the case of the alleged scam. The action will be analyzed by the first class of the Court.

The statement occurs after Bolsonaro’s defense filed a request in the Supreme Court to withdraw ministers Cristiano Zanin and Flávio Dino from the case analysis. Lawyers claim that both would have conflicts of interest: Dino, for having a criminal complaint against Bolsonaro as he was a minister of justice, and Zanin, for defending Lula’s campaign in the 2022 elections.

Mendes, however, stated that impediment requests cannot be used as a procedural strategy.

“I don’t see this will work. It is natural and legitimate to make (the request), but it does not seem to be reason for suspicion or impediment, ”said the minister.

The STF dean also highlighted the severity of the accusations against Bolsonaro, pointing out that the inquiry conducted by the Federal Police presents “abundant documentation” and substantial evidence. According to him, the case is even more serious than previous processes judged by the Court, such as the monthly, for involving the attempted coup d’état.

“What I see at this moment, as far as the view achieves, these facts need to be examined, is a very solid Federal Police report. A large documentation, movie themselves, meetings, people plotting. It made the complaint quite concatenated, ”he concluded.

The minister also commented on the performance of colleague Alexandre de Moraes in the case, rejecting comparisons with former Judge Sergio Moro and Lava Jato. According to him, Moraes only warned one of the whistleblowers of the case so that his statements were true and useful, thus ensuring the benefits of award -winning collaboration.

“The defense will always claim something. What seems to me that there is the warning that the legislation allows the employee to tell the truth and to enjoy benefit, reaching the point of an immunity. For this, the information brought need to be true and useful, ”he said.

The first class of the Supreme Court has not yet set the date for the judgment of the complaint presented by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) against Bolsonaro.