Lava Jato: MPF wants to suspect the new judge of the operation – 03/03/2023 – Power

The Federal Public Ministry of Paraná asked federal judge Eduardo Appio to declare himself a suspect to judge the remaining cases of Operation Lava Jato, within the scope of the 13th Federal Court of Curitiba.

The piece was signed this Friday (3) by the attorney of the Republic Carolina Bonfadini de Sá. For her, the magistrate’s performance on social networks, among other points, shows “a breach of impartiality” to conduct cases.

wanted by SheetAppio expressed himself through a note, informing that the prosecutor’s request “will be considered in due time and manner”.

In the same piece, the prosecutor also asks that, if the recognition of the suspicion is denied, that the matter be raised for analysis by the judges of second instance, at the Federal Regional Court of the 4th Region.

Appio took over a month ago the post that belonged to Sergio Moro until 2018 and became responsible for the remaining cases of the operation that are still being processed in Curitiba.

According to the prosecutor, a judge who “clearly disseminates his political and ideological opinion through social networks, delegitimizes the procedural conduct carried out by another magistrate [Moro]questions the performance of the Federal Public Ministry, reports Operation Lava Jato as ‘VazaJato’ and supports the hashtag ‘Defendam Lula’, is not invested with the necessary attribute of impartiality”.

In the document, the prosecutor details the activities of the judge on Twitter, such as profiles followed and likes in publications by PT politicians. She also cited a report that stated that the magistrate kept the signature “LUL22” in the procedural system of Federal Justice until this year.

According to her, the Code of Ethics for the Judiciary points out that the impartial magistrate is the one who avoids all types of behavior that may reflect favoritism, predisposition and prejudice.

President Lula is no longer a defendant in criminal actions being processed by the 13th Federal Court. Two convictions against him in Lava Jato proceedings were annulled by the Federal Supreme Court in 2021.

In an interview with Sheet in February, Appio made a series of criticisms of the methods of Operation Lava Jato during the period led by Moro, although he praised the return of money to public coffers.

He said, for example, that there were moments of “slapstick comedy” in the investigations and that Moro’s performance in Lula’s prison favored the election of Jair Bolsonaro to the Presidency in 2018.

Appio also stated on the occasion that, among his objectives at the head of the 13th Court, is to rescue the credibility of the Federal Justice and ensure “ideological or party-political” neutrality in the trials, removing what he classifies as “judicial populism”.

After the interview, federal deputy Deltan Dallagnol (Podemos-PR), former coordinator of the Lava Jato task force at the Federal Public Ministry in Paraná, questioned Appio’s impartiality when citing a donation of R$ 13 on behalf of the judge who was made to Lula’s campaign last year.

In the records of the Electoral Justice, there are two payments on behalf of the magistrate — the other is R$ 40 for a candidate for PT state deputy in Paraná.

But, in press interviews, the judge has been denying that he made the donations. In the wake of this, Deltan and other parliamentarians delivered a letter to the Federal Police asking that a police inquiry be opened to investigate the case.

“If the assertions of the aforementioned federal judge are true, they indicate the existence of a possible criminal practice, constituting proof of fraudulent electoral donation made on behalf of third parties, without their consent”, wrote the former prosecutor and now deputy to the PF.

The prosecutor also cited the parliamentarians’ request when asking for Appio’s suspicion.

In recent years, Appio has participated in a program of debates on legal topics, on a YouTube channel, by journalist Luís Nassif. Lava Jato was one of the main targets of the participants.

He also wrote on the topic. In 2021, shortly after the STF annulled President Lula’s convictions, he published a text proposing “ten measures to ensure greater transparency” in the actions of judicial authorities and members of the Public Ministry and defending electoral quarantine for candidacies.