Dallagnol condemns abuses by the STF and hypocrisy of Lava Jato critics

Former federal deputy and coordinator of Operation Lava Jato Deltan Dallagnol condemned the “eloquent silence” of critics of the operation that resulted in the arrest of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) over the “abuses committed by the Supreme Court”. For Dallagnol, who had his parliamentary mandate revoked in June last year, the critics’ speeches about “abuses” of the operation were to “protect one side of politics and corrupt pet politicians”.

“We saw many people create foam around the supposed excesses of Lava Jato, and today we see an eloquent silence from these same people in relation to the gross and proven abuses of the Supreme Court,” he said in an interview with Folha de S. Paulo this Saturday (16). In the wake of what he calls “outrageous abuses”, Dallagnol cites decisions by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes, such as arrests without formalized charges and the defenses’ denial of access to the files.

Lava Jato protagonists are targets of persecution

Operation Lava Jato, which turns 10 this Sunday (17), is experiencing a moment of retaliation against prosecutors and judges who carried out the operation. There are also a series of annulments of convictions and investigations carried out during the current period of Lava Jato. For Dallagnol, the actors in the operation have been targets of persecution, such as former judge and senator Sergio Moro (União-PR).

“Just look at how many prosecutors are active, or federal police officers, or judges who have given interviews about the fight against corruption. If that isn’t censorship, direct or indirect, I don’t know what is. No one today has the courage to speak out,” Dallagnol told Sheet. The former deputy also cites “an immense hypocrisy” among those who criticize Lava Jato’s actions, but contest “the meetings of ministers Gilmar Mendes, Alexandre de Moraes and the President of the Republic in closed dinners”.

“Dinners held to discuss political matters, including appointments made by ministers, people to occupy key positions, the TSE, the Supreme Court itself, the Court of Auditors, which characterizes immense promiscuity between the Powers. And I don’t see any criticism, any indignation from the press,” he said.

Gilmar Mendes has been one of the main critics of the operation and overturned convictions handed down by Lava Jato. Recently, during a session of the Second Panel, the judge stated that he will vote in favor of suspending Odebrecht’s fines, which were agreed in its leniency agreement, signed with the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) and approved by Moro.

The parallel between the recent actions of the STF and Lava Jato

In the interview, Dallagnol also ruled out that there are similarities in the methods between Lava Jato and the actions of the STF against supporters and those around former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL). “Investigation decisions were submitted to three appeals bodies, unlike what happens today in the STF, which investigates and prosecutes people without jurisdiction and without any indication of having the competence to do so,” he said.

The former deputy also accused the Supreme Court of using arrest warrants to “force denunciations” and that Lava Jato “never kept people in prison for five, six months without a criminal charge”, exposing another difference in the Court’s actions and the operation. “To a large extent, the abuse speech was to protect one side of politics and corrupt pet politicians,” he pointed out.

Dallagnol says the STF investigation aims to punish Bolsonaro

Dallagnol also stated that he has been following the Supreme Court’s investigations targeting the former president and his surroundings. The former deputy, however, claims he does not know the process in depth because most of it is confidential, but states that there are a “series of illegalities” in the Court’s dealings.

“They are arbitrary with the defined objective: to punish Bolsonaro or people linked to Bolsonaro. I read all the decisions that were made public. I am assuming that the decisions made mention of all existing evidence and relevant facts. If this assumption is true, there is no no proof of an act of execution carried out by Jair Messias Bolsonaro in relation to the possible crime of coup d’état or abolition of the democratic rule of law”, he stated.

“What has come to light so far has been a preparatory act. [Atos de] preparation or consideration are not crimes under our law. If there was any act of execution, let them be punished. But acts of cogitation and preparation, which I have seen come to light now, are not punishable acts,” he told Sheet.