The Attorney General of the Republic, promised this Wednesday (12) not to interfere in other Powers, defended his actions in the case of the coup plot and said that he does not criminalize politics. According to him, the conduct of the (Attorney General’s Office) followed the methodology of “civilized law”.
The statements were made during the hearing at the CCJ (Constitution and Justice Commission) of the Senate, part of the meeting as head of the Senate. Gonet was approved for a new term at the head of the PGR by 45 votes by the Senate plenary, just 4 more than necessary.
“From the Attorney General’s Office, there are no hasty reports or proposals for measures to interfere with the fundamental rights of those being investigated unless after a thorough examination and legal-criminal analysis of socially serious facts”, said Gonet, adding that the body has an obligation to act when there is a sign of a crime.
“In the same way, it is important to bear in mind that the Attorney General of the Republic does not judge anyone, he only takes the report of verified facts for evaluation by the Judiciary”, he stated.
Gonet stated that he spoke out about the coup plot, for which the former president () was sentenced to 27 years in prison, only in the case files, without allowing information leaks. This, according to him, reduces damage to the image of the accused and preserves the presumption of innocence. Furthermore, he highlighted that penalties in criminal cases are established in accordance with laws approved by Congress.
The PGR mentioned investigations into the INSS scandal and former government ministers, indicating that it does not pursue specific political groups.
“What is important to keep in mind is that there is no criminalization of politics in itself; above all, the ink that prints the pieces produced by the Attorney General’s Office does not have the colors of party flags,” he said.
The statements can be interpreted as a response to Bolsonaro political groups who supported his nomination in 2023, but who are now unhappy with Gonet’s performance because of the accusations against Bolsonaro.
Gonet also promised senators not to interfere in other Powers, in addition to defending that the PGR should carry out discreet work.
“I reaffirm the commitment of the Attorney General’s Office to respect the powers of the Powers of the Republic, which translates into a position that is aloof from interference in the options of the Powers integrated by agents legitimized directly by the popular vote”, he said.
He rejected what he called “the search for transitory applause and media exposure.” “The legitimacy of the actions of the Attorney General of the Republic is not measured by the satisfaction of occasional majorities, but by the legal rationality of his positions”, he stated.
In the Senate, the favorable votes of 41 senators, out of a total of 81, are needed in the decisive deliberation for him to be reappointed.
The expectation is that Gonet will be approved, but with a smaller advantage than that obtained in 2023, when he became Attorney General of the Republic. At the time, he had 65 votes.
The loose score was obtained because part of the Bolsonaro opposition, with Bolsonaro’s endorsement, supported Gonet’s name. The scenario has changed and, now, the prosecutor is the target of criticism from Bolsonarism.
In addition to dissatisfaction with the coup plot process, another factor cited to explain the greatest dissatisfaction with Gonet is , former advisor to the minister of the (Supreme Federal Court).
Tagliaferro, who assisted the minister when he was president of the TSE (Superior Electoral Court), became a well-known name in Bolsonaro circles for exposing messages related to Moraes.
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.
