Barroso denied search warrant against Lula’s minister

The Federal Police (PF) operation, which took place this Friday morning (9/1), against the sister of Minister Juscelino Filho (Communications), Luanna Rezende, mayor of the city of Vitorino Freire (MA), also targeted the member of President Lula’s government. However, Minister Luiz Roberto Barroso, rapporteur for the action at the Federal Supreme Court (STF), denied issuing the search and seizure warrant against Juscelino Filho.

The operation carried out by the PF investigates bidding fraud, diversion of public resources and money laundering of federal funds sent to Codevasf, the Development Company of the São Francisco and Parnaíba Valleys.

According to the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, the PF even asked to enter the minister’s functional apartment and seize equipment. However, Barroso only granted measures against people he considered that there were elements and indications of crime.

According to the investigations, only presentations of amendments to Minister Juscelino are indicated, which is not considered a crime. Therefore, with this understanding that there were no elements that incriminated the minister, Barroso denied the request for searches against him.

Juscelino Filho’s defense said that all his actions as a parliamentarian and as a minister have been guided by the public interest and serving the population, and that he was not the target of searches by the PF in this operation.

“The investigation will serve precisely to clarify the facts and demonstrate that there was no irregularity. Parliamentary amendments are legitimate and democratic instruments of the National Congress. Juscelino Filho remains available to provide clarifications to the authorities”, he said.

Since the beginning of his term as minister, Juscelino Filho has accumulated a series of accusations of irregularities. Among them, complaints of alleged irregular use of Brazilian Air Force (FAB) flights and daily rates paid by the Union for personal appointments. He said he was a “victim of distorted attacks” and attributed the accusations to an “error in the system” for counting daily rates, referring to the trip to Maranhão.