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News > Brazil

Brazil Bar Association Demands Removal of Justice Minister

  • Brazilian law group wants Justice Minister Sergio Moro to be removed from office.

    Brazilian law group wants Justice Minister Sergio Moro to be removed from office. | Photo: Reuters

Published 11 June 2019
Opinion

Brazilian Bar Association wants Justice Minister Sergio Moro removed after report shows his judicial partiality in Lula case.

The Brazilian Bar Association is demanding the removal of Justice Minister Sergio Moro from his cabinet post after a lengthy report by The Intercept revealed Moro’s partiality in the case of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, which he presided over prior to becoming a part of President Jair Bolsonaro's administration.

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Politics, Lack of Evidence Behind Lula Trial: Intercept Expose

The report revealed that Moro, who crusaded as an anti-corruption judge, coordinated with prosecutors in the far-reaching Operation Car Wash (Lava Jato) corruption case that led to the conviction of the revered leftist leader.

The documents were released in a three-part series by The Intercept showing leaked documents and telegram messages between prosecutors and Moro that evidence they went to lengths to prevent Lula and his Workers’ Party from returning to power.

“Over the course of more than two years, Moro suggested to the prosecutor that his team change the sequence of who they would investigate; insisted on less downtime between raids; gave strategic advice and informal tips; provided the prosecutors with advance knowledge of his decisions; offered constructive criticism of prosecutorial filings; and even scolded [Deltan] Dallagnol (chief of the prosecutor task force) as if the prosecutor worked for the judge,” the report reads.

Moro ruled against Lula and rendered him ineligible to run in the 2018 presidential election at a time when all polls showed that the former president was the clear frontrunner. This gave far-right Jair Bolsonaro a strong lead that resulted in his presidency win.

Bolsonaro then, according to many, “rewarded” Moro by creating an unprecedented powerful position now called the “super justice minister,” which has complete control over all the judicial branch, policing and social control in Brazilian society.

After the publication of the report, which according to the website, is just a small part of an “enormous trove” of messages, the Supreme Court decided to resume debate on Lula’s case Tuesday.

The Bar Association also recommended disbanding all prosecutors involved in the case "so that the investigation can run without any suspicions.”

Congressman Marcelo Ramos said that Moro should temporarily step down as the justice minister. This would give the federal police, under his authority, the freedom to investigate him if necessary.

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