The members of the (Superior Court of Justice) decided, in a closed meeting on Tuesday morning (10), to remove the target of investigations from the court.
This removal is precautionary and must last until the conclusion of the internal investigation into his conduct. The vote took place secretly and, according to the STJ, it was unanimous among those present. At least 17 votes from the 33 ministers were needed for removal.
There were 27 votes in this regard and, in addition to Buzzi himself, five other ministers were absent.
The court will return to deliberating on the magistrate’s future at the end of the work of the investigation committee investigating the episodes.
As shown by Sheetthe tendency is for the investigation to result in the magistrate’s compulsory retirement. For this to happen, 22 votes from the 33 members of the court are needed.
The meeting of ministers this Tuesday was called by the president of the court, Herman Benjamin, after Buzzi was received by the (National Council of Justice) this Monday (9).
The CNJ Internal Affairs Office stated that a hearing had already been held to hear a “possible victim of facts similar to those subject to ongoing proceedings”. The investigation is being conducted in secrecy “to preserve the privacy and integrity of the people involved and for the proper conduct of the investigations.”
Last week, an 18-year-old woman reported having been grabbed and touched by the minister, who is 68 years old, while swimming in the sea on a beach on the coast of Santa Catarina. She and her parents spent holidays at the magistrate’s beach house, in Balneário Camboriú.
According to a statement given to the Civil Police, the young woman told her father what happened, and the family left the minister’s house on the same day. According to the document, she had attended the STJ since childhood and considered the minister “a grandfather and confidant”. Her mother works in the higher courts, and the professional relationship evolved into friendship between the families.
In a demonstration this Monday, before his removal, Buzzi stated that he will prove his innocence in the face of the allegations against him. The judge also said he was “very impacted” and had never adopted “conduct that would embarrass the family or tarnish the judiciary.”
The statement was made in a WhatsApp group message from STJ ministers. It was his first statement to his colleagues since the first news about the allegations broke, on the 4th.
“Very impacted by the news broadcast and also by finding myself admitted to hospital, under cardiac and emotional monitoring, until now I have been silent. I informally learned of facts imputed against me, which I equally repudiate. Everything is causing hurt to the people in my family and coexistence”, he said.
He also stated that he is grateful to those who gave the benefit of the doubt “in the face of the premature disclosure of information.” “I trust that, through technical and impartial investigation, the facts will be fully clarified.”
This Tuesday, Buzzi from court for psychiatric treatment and medication adjustments.
He has been feeling ill since last Thursday, according to his team. He has a history of cardiac interventions.
Buzzi’s lawyers claim that the minister “did not commit any improper act, as will be possible to demonstrate in due course within the scope of the procedures already initiated”. The note says that the leak of information seeks to “embarrass due legal process and unduly influence future judicial decisions.”
“To date, the defense has not had access to the files, even though it has already submitted a request for authorization since last week. There is, therefore, no legal or factual basis that allows responsible statements about facts that are still undefined — much less anticipated public trials”, says the minister’s defense.
In relation to the Santa Catarina case, Buzzi is the target, in addition to disciplinary complaints at the CNJ, of a criminal investigation at the (Supreme Federal Court), which is being processed under the minister’s report.
The inquiry at the STJ is led by ministers Raul Araújo, Francisco Falcão and Antônio Carlos Ferreira.
