Substitute judge of the 13th Federal Court of Curitiba assumes cases conducted by Appio regarding Operation Lava Jato.| Photo: reproduction/You Tube

The substitute judge Gabriela Hardt took over this Tuesday (23) the cases that were conducted by Judge Eduardo Appio in the 13th Federal Court of Curitiba, who was removed from office on Monday night (22) by decision of the Federal Regional Court of the 4th Region (TRF -4).

Hardt had requested removal to the Federal Court of Santa Catarina, but was scheduled to take over the court where the processes arising from Operation Lava Jato are conducted. Among those who have already passed her jurisdiction is a notification to the Federal Police of Paraná on Monday (22) in which Appio asked for the opening of an inquiry to investigate an alleged illegal wiretap in the cell of money changer Alberto Youssef in 2014.

Appio was temporarily removed from office after federal judge Marcelo Malucelli presented a representation alleging that he had tried to intimidate or embarrass his son, lawyer João Eduardo Barreto Malucelli, through a telephone call in which he cited confidential tax data. The Federal Police pointed out a “high chance” that the interlocutor’s voice was that of the judge.