The Second Panel of the (Supreme Federal Court) formed a majority to maintain the arrest of the former president of the (Bank of) Paulo Henrique Costa. The measure was decreed last week by the minister.
Ministers Luiz Fux and Kassio Nunes Marques followed the rapporteur. The trial takes place in a virtual plenary session and ends on Friday (24). Gilmar Mendes still needs to vote.
The minister does not participate in the trial. He declared himself suspected of judging cases related to the Banco Master investigation.
The minister informed colleagues that he took the decision to avoid questions about his actions, due to the business done by his family’s company with a fund controlled by Master.
In his vote, Mendonça reiterates the terms of the decision that authorized the arrest and says that the measure is fundamental to “protect the economic order, criminal investigation and the application of criminal law”. Fux did not present a written vote, just followed the rapporteur.
Costa is being investigated as part of the Compliance Zero operation, which investigates irregularities in BRB’s actions to buy the , from the businessman, who is also in prison and is negotiating a plea bargain agreement.
The former president of BRB is suspected of passive corruption and money laundering. According to investigations, he had hidden six properties received as bribes, four in São Paulo and two in Brasília, valued at R$146.5 million, of which around R$74.6 million had already been paid.
After the start of the trial, Paulo Henrique Costa changed his defense team, indicating that he could sign a plea bargain agreement.
Until then, Costa was defended by lawyer Cléber Lopes, who is close to the former governor of () and was his lawyer in the case relating to the January 8 attacks. Now, the executive will be defended by lawyers Eugênio Aragão and Davi Tangerino.
The exchange was completed this Wednesday (22). Asked if Costa intends to sign an award-winning collaboration agreement, Aragão stated that he had not yet spoken to him. “I still don’t know [se ele vai assinar um acordo]. I haven’t spoken to the client yet,” he told Sheet.
