STF resumes Collor trial next week

The Federal Supreme Court (STF) returned this Thursday (11) to the criminal action filed by the Court against former Senator Fernando Collor. The trial will determine whether Collor will be convicted by the court in a proceeding arising from Operation Lava Jato. The only one to speak out in this Thursday’s session, the rapporteur, Minister Edson Fachin, considered that there is evidence of crimes of passive corruption and money laundering and signaled that he should vote for Collor’s conviction. However, the reading of the vote did not end, and the session will resume on Wednesday (17).

Nine more ministers are expected to vote. The Court judges a criminal action opened in August 2017, reported Agência Brasil. According to the Attorney General’s Office (PGR), the former president of the Republic would have received R$ 29 million in bribes for his political influence at BR Distribuidora, a subsidiary of Petrobras. The crimes of corruption, money laundering and criminal organization would have occurred between 2010 and 2014.

In his manifestation, Fachin mentioned that the investigation showed that 713 fractional deposits were made in accounts maintained by Collor. According to the rapporteur, in December 2012 alone, the accounts received R$ 357,000 in cash. The minister also stated that documents seized in a search and seizure carried out at Collor’s house demonstrate that the former senator had information about the deals signed by the company.

“I understand that the viability of setting up the offense of passive corruption is established through the appointment and support to the board of directors of mixed capital companies or public companies due to the deviated exercise of parliamentary functions”, said the rapporteur.

During the session, lawyer Marcelo Bessa asked for Collor’s acquittal. The defender stated that the PGR’s accusations are based on testimonies of award-winning and no evidence was presented to incriminate the former senator. Bessa also denied that the former parliamentarian was responsible for appointing company directors. According to him, the whistleblowers accused Collor based on comments from third parties.

“There is no reliable evidence to corroborate this version of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Here is a version posted, solely and exclusively, by award-winning collaborators, who do not say that the collection of these amounts would be related to Collor or with the alleged intermediation of this flagship contract” , he stated.