CNJ keeps away the titular judge of the Lava Jato Court – 07/17/2023 – Power

The CNJ (National Council of Justice) corregidor, Luís Felipe Salomão, denied the request presented by the defense of federal judge Eduardo Appio and decided to keep the holder of the 13th Court of Curitiba away until the conclusion of the investigations. The Court houses the remaining processes of Operation Lava Jato.

Appio assumed the ownership of the Court in early February, but was removed by decision of the Special Administrative Court of TRF-4 (Federal Regional Court of the 4th Region) on May 22, suspected of having committed disciplinary infractions. Subsequently, he appealed to the Internal Affairs of the CNJ, claiming that the removal was a violent measure.

In a decision signed on Sunday (16), Salomão said that there are enough elements to keep the magistrate away and cites “very serious conduct”. He also claims that the judge’s permanence in office could hinder investigations.

Appio’s defense pointed out that the TRF-4 lacked the necessary impartiality to judge the case and asked that the matter be dealt with by the CNJ. But the magistrate also rejected the request. Salomão says that the preliminary procedure in court has observed the right to adversarial proceedings, proceeding normally.

A Sheet sought out Appio’s lawyer this Monday (17th), but has yet to receive an answer. The Federal Court of Paraná declined to comment. The 13th Court of Curitiba has been conducted by judge Fábio Martino.

Appio is suspected of having made a call to lawyer João Eduardo Barreto Malucelli on April 13, pretending to be someone else, and apparently trying to prove that he was talking to the son of federal judge Marcelo Malucelli, then Lava Jato rapporteur in second instance.

João Eduardo is a partner of the senator and former judge Sergio Moro in a law firm and, at that time, Marcelo Malucelli and Appio had conflicting judicial decisions about the defendant Rodrigo Tacla Duran, who since 2017 has been saying that people close to Moro tried to extort him. it.

The indirect relationship between Moro and Marcelo Malucelli was contested, and the TRF-4 magistrate ended up leaving the Lava Jato rapporteurship.

João Eduardo recorded the call, which ended with a question interpreted by the lawyer as a kind of threat: “And are you sure you haven’t been up to anything?”

A PF report, commissioned by the Internal Affairs of TRF4, points out that the audio “strongly supports the hypothesis” that it is Appio’s voice.

In addition, the TRF-4 Information Technology Directorate reported that the judge’s computer IP consulted a process in which lawyer João Eduardo acts just minutes before the time of the call. Within the process, with a magistrate login, it is possible to see the lawyer’s cell phone number.

To the CNJ, Appio’s defense claims that the judge denies having made the call.