Corte says the space would not be used as imagined; President of the Court states that the decision to finalize the contract was unanimous
The (Superior Labor Court) unanimously decided to cancel the contract to build a building destined exclusively for the 27 ministers of the Court. The contract estimated an expense greater than R$ 1.5 million over 2 years.
According to the president of the TST, minister Luiz Philippe Vieira de Mello Filho, the decision was taken by “lack of need to use space” and with the justification that contract termination will not cause financial losses.
Vieira de Mello Filho stated that he signed the cancellation order because the contract would no longer be necessary as it was understood to be. “At that time, the Court was simply following the path of other courts […] For us, it is a closed matter.”declared to the UOL.
At the time of signing, the TST reported that the VIP room aimed to increase the security of ministers, avoiding “approaching inconvenient or malicious people” during boarding and disembarking.
The Court argued that the common traffic conditions at the airport pose avoidable risks to authorities. In a subsequent note sent to the press, the Court’s communications department removed this excerpt from the material.
In August, the Poder360 showed that together the contracts of the TST, the (Supreme Federal Court) and the (Superior Court of Justice), at the time, totaled annual expenses of .
CONTRACT DETAILS
The contract with the airport management company contained:
- exclusive room of 44 m²with granite floors, pantry, bathrooms and plaster walls;
- monthly value of R$ 30,000plus R$2,639.70 in operating expenses;
- 2 year termscheduled to end in April 2027;
- exclusive services for ministers, such as a private car, plane and airport staff dedicated to customer service.
The contract was made without a bidding process, with the same company that built the VIP lounges for the public at the airport. The TST justified the exemption from bidding based on the Bidding Law, which allows direct contracts for values below the legal limit.
See the VIP room project below:
