The TCU (Federal Audit Court) decided, this Wednesday (25), to carry out investigations to investigate contracts signed by higher courts for the use of exclusive VIP lounges at Brasília International Airport. Despite this, the Court of Auditors has, at this time, ruled out opening a formal audit on the topic.
The decision was taken as part of a request sent by the Transparency, Governance, Inspection and Control and Consumer Protection Commission of the Federal Senate. The request questions expenses totaling R$ 1,671,238.83 with exclusive spaces allocated to ministers of the STF (Supreme Federal Court), the STJ (Superior Court of Justice) and the TST (Superior Labor Court).
Parliamentarians point out possible doubts regarding the economicity, impersonality and public interest of the contracts. Among the arguments presented is the existence, at the airport itself, of VIP lounges accessible to the public through payment or use of specific cards, which, according to the request, could allow an alternative with reimbursement of expenses.
Rapporteur of the process, minister Jhonatan de Jesus stated that the topic had already been previously analyzed by the TCU. In 2021, when examining the STJ’s contract, the Court considered regulating the hiring of an exclusive room, based on grounds linked to the institutional security of the Judiciary.
Despite the precedent, the rapporteur understood that the relevance of the matter and the existence of related processes justify new checks. Unanimously, the plenary decided to request from the STF, STJ and TST, within 15 days, copies of current and previous contracts, feasibility studies, risk analyses, technical justifications and information on possible comparisons with more economical alternatives.
The TCU also determined that the courts clarify the compliance of contracts with the law, especially regarding the prohibition of the acquisition of luxury goods, and with the Court’s own jurisprudence.
The decision also provides for the sharing of information with another process underway at the TCU that deals with TST contracts related to the same topic. After completing the investigations, the results of the investigations will be forwarded to the Senate committee and to the author of the request.
