The Attorney General of the Republic, , was criticized by allies of the former president () in a hearing at the CCJ (Constitution and Justice Commission) this Wednesday (12).
The procedure was part of Gonet’s reappointment process as head of . The board decided to recommend approval of the nominee to the plenary. Subsequently, the Senate decided to give the PGR a new mandate by 45 votes, just 4 more than necessary.
The first senators to question Gonet were senators Jorge Seif (PL-SC) and (PL-RJ), son of the former president.
Seif used his time to criticize Bolsonaro’s situation under house arrest, without being able to use social media or receive visits without judicial authorization.
“Bandit can give an interview in jail, but Bolsonaro can’t even talk to his children. These are things that we don’t understand in the democratic rule of law,” said Seif.
The senator also questioned the decisions of the minister of the (Supreme Federal Court) based on Gonet’s statements.
“There is a high degree of convergence between the statements and the decisions of Minister Alexandre de Moraes. What internal mechanisms ensure the independence of the PGR and prevent undue influence from the Federal Supreme Court?”, he asked.
He also spoke about a contrary statement that Gonet gave in a case for amnesty for those accused of participating in an attempted coup d’état after the 2022 elections.
The former president’s son said he wanted to regret Gonet’s reappointment. “You passively accepted the Federal Public Ministry being screwed,” said Flávio, who also said that the PGR appears to be “following orders” from Moraes.
“You should instruct the process, but you are not doing that anymore. I say this with sadness in my heart. The members of the Federal Public Ministry must be ashamed of you today. Very ashamed”, he criticized.
“I told your excellency in my office, on the occasion of the other hearing, that God was giving you the opportunity to undo all the injustices you did when you were at the TSE [Tribunal Superior Eleitoral] representing the MPF”, he stated.
Gonet, when he was deputy electoral attorney general, defended the conviction that left Bolsonaro ineligible.
“You did the opposite. You persecuted and played dirty games with a person who, in my opinion, is sick. [Moraes].”
Other senators, such as Esperidião Amin (PP-SC) and Magno Malta (PL-ES), also made similar criticisms.
When responding, Gonet stated that all information processed by the PGR is treated in a technical manner, and not in a political manner, and that he has respect and sobriety towards everyone involved in criminal actions.
He also stated that, in cases related to Bolsonaro, he even requested archiving, as in the investigation.
He also said he sees a controversy “from a legal point of view” about possible amnesty for crimes against the State.
To show that he has the support of members of the Public Ministry, Gonet also presented a message from the president of the ANPR (National Association of Public Prosecutors), José Schettino, who defended him.
He also said that he welcomes all senators who request an audience with him. “I listen and, to the extent that I perceive an outburst, I listen with empathy. I would like to say that, in relation to the actions of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the criminal sphere, as well as in the civil sphere, they are carried out based on legal grounds”, he stated.
Gonet’s alignment with the majority of the Supreme Court in the coup plot process was already expected both in the Judiciary and in politics. He was appointed by President Lula to the PGR in 2023 with .
The prosecutor was selected by Lula in 2023 from outside the triple list chosen by the ANPR (National Association of Public Prosecutors), as had happened with his predecessor, Augusto Aras, appointed on two occasions by Bolsonaro.
Gonet was deputy electoral attorney general during the Aras administration, but he is not seen as a name aligned with the former PGR within the Public Ministry and is more accepted internally than his predecessor.
When he began his speech this Wednesday, he promised not to interfere in other Powers, defended his action in the case of the coup plot and said that he does not criminalize politics. According to him, the conduct of the PGR (Attorney General’s Office) followed the methodology of “civilized law”.
