The Court of Justice of Piauí postponed the session that would judge, this Friday (19), an appeal by Toyota do Brasil, which tries to annul compensation of R$ 18 million for an alleged defect in a vehicle.
A, in 2008, by the then lawyers and José Wilson Ferreira de Araújo Júnior, his partner at the Lex Advocacia office, in Teresina (PI).
They were hired by the dealership Nordeste Veículos Ltda., which had a dispute with the automaker.
In 2005, Toyota and the dealership reached an agreement after selling a defective vehicle to a consumer.
At the time, the automaker committed to providing two vehicles to the customer as compensation. Despite having participated in the agreement, Nordeste Veículos filed a lawsuit against Toyota in 2008. He requested compensation for moral and material damages and lost profits.
The then lawyer Kassio attributed the value of R$ 734,277.77 to the case. Toyota was ordered to pay R$18 million in compensation. According to the company, the value corresponded to 212 brand new vehicles.
More than 80% of the value was attributed to moral damages, and R$4 million was executed.
Elevated to the judiciary by the constitutional fifth of the legal profession, today Kassio presides over the (Superior Electoral Court); José Wilson, the TRE-PI (Regional Electoral Court of Piauí).
On April 8, José Wilson and José Olímpio Galvão, vice-president, were sworn into TRE-PI.
In March, José Wilson had voted against Toyota in a session at TJ-PI. He declared himself barred on April 5. José Olímpio, who followed José Wilson’s vote, declared suspicion on February 12, 2020.
former president of the OAB and friend of Kassio, advocated in another action that ordered Toyota to pay compensation of R$7.7 million for an accident without victims.
The decision that condemned Toyota was anticipated by judge José Ramos Dias Filho, who was compulsorily retired by the (National Council of Justice) in 2017.
The judge was accused of missing cases. He responded to 13 disciplinary proceedings at the CNJ and 28 inquiries at the court.
After his death, in 2022, the TJ-PI opened an annex with the judge’s name. Judge Hilo de Almeida Sousa, author of the tribute, defined José Ramos as a “man of integrity and honesty”.
Hilo must participate in the trial
Judge Fernando Lopes e Silva Neto, brother of José Ramos, must also vote. He had declared suspicion.
A judge was summoned to replace a judge removed by the CNJ. In a search and seizure operation, a ballot counting machine was found in the magistrate’s room.
Toyota presented 11 arguments to the TJ-PI to request termination. The then rapporteur, judge José Ribamar Oliveira (retired), ignored 10.
These facts were identified by lawyer Eliana Calmon, former national inspector, who gave an opinion in a process of interest to Toyota.
The transfer of the session to July 3rd was ordered by judge Agrimar Rodrigues, president of the Civil Assembly Chambers of the TJ-PI.
The judgment of the rescission action brought back episodes from the career of the TSE president.
Chosen by the then president to succeed the then dean, Kassio was embraced by the ministers and .
It had the approval of the senator (-RJ), the president of TRF-1, Maria do Carmo Cardoso, considered an advisor to the Bolsonaro family, senator Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI) and Ibaneis Rocha, former governor of the Federal District.
The AMB (Association of Brazilian Magistrates) and Ajufe (Association of Federal Judges of Brazil) published notes of support when Celso de Mello was still in office.
Kassio attends parties. On a recent trip to Italy, the Federal Council of .
Other side
Minister Kassio Nunes informed, through the TSE press office, that he “acted legitimately as a lawyer between 2008 and 2010 and that he has not practiced law since 2011”.
“I was not even aware that the trial in this case had been scheduled in Piauí.”
In 2015, Kassio Nunes told the column that, upon joining the TRF-1, in 2011, he transferred powers to another office.
“I performed my role as a lawyer with honor and dignity, becoming a member of the OAB Ethics and Disciplinary Court for years”, .
On the same occasion, former OAB president Marcus Vinícius stated that, “anywhere in the world, when a company puts a consumer’s life at risk, there are pedagogical condemnations”.
“I regret that distorted information, which is part of an orchestration to tarnish reputations, is published with the aim of influencing Judiciary processes,” he said.
The Piauí Court of Justice did not comment. The TJ-PI Communications department reported that nothing about this process was passed on to that unit.
