In recent months, A and the PGR (Attorney General’s Office) have dismissed suspicions about authorities with special jurisdiction in the (Supreme Federal Court) in some of those dealing with the sale of judicial decisions in the (Superior Court of Justice) and in other courts in the country.
The case, however, was kept in the Supreme Court because there are parallel investigations that could involve these authorities — such as ministers of higher courts and parliamentarians —, although the most advanced investigations reject this possibility.
Part of the investigations were sent by the minister, rapporteur of the case, to other courts. Another part remains in the STF, but emptied and without advancing on new fronts.
On May 27, nine people were denounced on charges by the STJ. Among those accused are a lobbyist, a former chief of staff and a former court employee. None of them have a special jurisdiction.
This is the first complaint in the investigation, which began in 2024 and deals with suspicions related to the second most important court in the country.
This organization, stated the Prosecutor’s Office, was “aimed at paying and obtaining illicit pecuniary advantages, in exchange for interfering in the outcome of judicial decisions given in the context of cases being processed in the Superior Court of Justice, through public servant competition, with the criminal organization taking advantage of this condition to commit a criminal offense”.
The attorney general’s complaint highlights that there are no signs of involvement in irregularities by two ministers whose offices are being investigated, Nancy Andrighi and Isabel Gallotti.
“The development of the investigations removed any element of subjective connection between the aforementioned authorities and the facts examined”, says Gonet in a statement accompanying the complaint. “There is no reference to their names in the telematic records collected nor evidence of participation in the financial dynamics related to the circulation of illicit values”, he adds.
Despite this consideration, Gonet asks Zanin that the case continues before the Supreme Court due to “the persistence of the connection with investigations that involve authorities holding jurisdiction by function prerogative”.
Zanin complied with the request and is keeping the case before the STF. More specific inquiries into the sale of decisions in courts of justice were sent for analysis in other instances. They dealt with possible irregularities in the state courts of , of and .
The investigations were referred to the STJ, where judges have a special jurisdiction, and are with different rapporteurs. The last of them, from Tocantins, was sent by Zanin in March.
This investigation had reached the Supreme Court for two reasons: 1) there were suspicions in the STJ offices, but no evidence was found; 2) the investigations found references to senators and a former minister from the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) government, although there is no evidence of crimes or irregularities in these mentions.
The other two investigations were sent to the STJ longer ago. They were with Zanin due to suspected connections with the main investigation, but the minister understood that they were dealing with other possible episodes of irregularities.
The investigation into the TJ-MT was sent in July last year to the STJ. They involved exchanges of messages between the magistrates and lawyer Roberto Zampieri, which raised suspicions that payments had been made in exchange for favorable court decisions.
The minister understood that, at the moment, there is no evidence that suspicions about the judges are the same as those in the scheme that involved decisions by the STJ. The MS case was sent to the STJ in September last year.
There are still no complaints or requests for archiving from the Federal Public Ministry regarding these investigations.
The case involving the murder of Zampieri, who was also with Zanin, was sent to the Mato Grosso Court of Justice. In May, the MT Public Prosecutor’s Office filed a complaint against suspected masterminds and executors of the crime.
Understand the case in 4 points
1. OPERATION SIAMNES
Launched in 2024, it is an investigation by the Federal Police, under the report of Minister Cristiano Zanin, of the STF, to investigate a scheme for selling sentences, involving the STJ. This operation, which has already had at least nine phases, began in Cuiabá (MT), following the murder of lawyer Roberto Zampieri, in 2023, over a land dispute. The examination of his cell phone generated suspicions about the existence of the scheme.
2. KEY STAKEHOLDERS
The different phases of the operation resulted in dozens of search and seizure warrants and several arrests. Among the main people involved are Andreson de Oliveira Gonçalves, known as a court lobbyist, and his wife, Mirian Gonçalves. Andreson was appointed by the PF as an intermediary in the sale of sentences. Also part of the investigation core are Márcio José Toledo Pinto, a former STJ civil servant who worked in several offices, and Daimler Campos, former chief of staff of minister Isabel Gallotti.
3. PGR COMPLAINT
These are four of the nine people who were denounced, in May, by the PGR. Gonçalves was one of those arrested in the operation, but is currently under house arrest. Campos is away from his duties and was the target of search and seizure warrants. In March, Pinto was preventively arrested by the PF. In his complaint, Paulo Gonet highlighted that there was no evidence of involvement of the ministers, whose offices are being investigated, Isabel Galotti and Nancy Andrighi. Gonet asked for the case to stay in the STF.
4. EMPTYING THE CASE
Zanin accepted Gonet’s request and kept the case before the STF. However, it sent more specific surveys for analysis in other instances. Another part remains Supreme, but emptied and without advancing on new fronts. There are still no complaints or requests for archiving from the Public Ministry regarding these investigations.
