Jhonatan de Jesus states that he suspended the inspection at the Central Bank due to the "public dimension" of the case.

247 - The Minister of the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), Jhonatan de Jesus, stated that the inspection ordered at the Central Bank was suspended solely after the case gained widespread public attention. According to him, the initial measure was supported by the Court's internal regulations, but the visibility achieved by the episode altered the course of the process.

The statements are contained in the cited document. through the blog From journalist Miriam Leitão, of O Globo, in which the rapporteur responds to the appeals presented by the monetary authority, which requested that the matter be analyzed by the full court. In the text, Jhonatan de Jesus reaffirms that his actions followed the rules of the TCU (Federal Court of Accounts) and that the inspection was ordered as an investigative measure.

To justify his conduct, the minister cites article 244, paragraph 2, of the TCU's Internal Regulations, which, according to the rapporteur himself, "grants the Rapporteur the authority to order inspections as an investigative measure, to enable the obtaining of elements essential to clarifying the facts and forming an opinion based on primary documentation." He argues that the Court has the prerogative to act in matters related to public accounts.

However, Jhonatan de Jesus acknowledges that the episode has taken on atypical proportions. In the document, he states that "given the public dimension assumed by the case, with contours disproportionate to the routine investigative measures in this Court, he recommends that the controversy be submitted to the scrutiny of the Plenary." The evaluation by the nine ministers of the TCU should take place after the end of the recess, at the end of this month.

The handling of the process involving Banco Master has been the target of criticism. Ministers of the court had already been advocating, behind the scenes, that the matter be taken to the plenary session. Jhonatan de Jesus took office at the TCU in 2023, after serving as a federal deputy, and is the youngest minister of the Court.

Last Wednesday (7), the president of the TCU, Vital do Rêgo Filho, informed that the inspection at the Central Bank would be submitted to the plenary for consideration. The change in strategy occurred after the negative repercussions of the rapporteur's actions in the case. According to the blog, Vital do Rêgo even asked for internal support in defense of the court and Jhonatan de Jesus.

Behind the scenes, the expectation is that the ministers will not endorse the course of action taken so far and will reject the request for an inspection of the Central Bank, possibly with a large majority of votes.