Mendonça resumes secrecy in processes investigating Vorcaro's relationships
Minister André Mendonça, of the STF (Supreme Federal Court), reestablished, on Wednesday (24), the confidentiality of proceedings in the case that investigates fraud in the Master case. The petitions deal with investigations by the PF (Federal Police) into the actions of Daniel Vorcaro's father and cousin, in addition to pointing out the links between the former banker and senator Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI).
The processes were made public on June 16th by decision of André Mendonça himself. The decision came shortly after Minister Gilmar Mendes scheduled the trial on the arrest of Henrique and Felipe Vorcaro, Daniel's father and cousin, respectively. Gilmar had asked to see the case and, when the analysis of the case began, Mendonça kept the entire investigation confidential.
Last week, the Second Panel of the STF decided, by majority, to maintain the preventive arrests of Henrique and Felipe Vorcaro. The only one to disagree was Gilmar. During the analysis of the case, he and Mendonça had a clash.
Throughout the session, Gilmar Mendes argued that prisons could serve as an instrument of pressure to obtain plea bargain agreements, criticized alleged leaks and warned that "judge cannot act as a delegate".
The Dean of the Court also compared the operation against Banco Master to Operation Lava Jato, which, according to him, had committed excesses. Minister André Mendonça countered the criticism and refused the label imposed by Gilmar Mendes.
"We are all on the same side when it comes to combating organized crime. Now, there need to be constitutional methods of doing this", said Gilmar Mendes during the trial.
In response, Mendonça was emphatic: "They are happening, Minister Gilmar, you can be sure." The rapporteur also declared that he would not admit "attempts to unduly discredit" his role as rapporteur or that of the investigators.
Throughout the vote, Mendonça described the actions of Henrique and Felipe Vorcaro as that of "an active criminal organization, even after the investigations had progressed".
André Mendonça revealed, without naming names, that he had refused a lawyer's proposal to carry out a selective plea bargain. "They lost their modesty, Minister Gilmar. 'We want to make a selective plea bargain', they said that to my face. I said: I don't care about whistleblowing. Not selective plea bargaining with me", declared the rapporteur.
In a new episode involving the two ministers, last Monday (22), Gilmar stated that Mendonça made a "massive error" by getting involved in the negotiations for Daniel Vorcaro's plea bargain.
According to Gilmar, negotiating a collaboration agreement is the responsibility of the Federal Police and the Public Ministry, and not the case's rapporteur. Vorcaro tried to construct two plea bargains. Both, however, were rejected by the PF and the PGR (Attorney General's Office).
Source: CNN