Court reduces compensation awarded to Francenildo

André Richter - Reporter for Agência Brasil

The Fifth Panel of the Federal Regional Court (TRF) of the 1st Region today (25) reduced from R$ 500 thousand to R$ 400 thousand the compensation that caretaker Francenildo dos Santos Costa will have to receive from Caixa for having his bank secrecy broken. In 2006, the case resulted in the departure of Antônio Palocci from the command of the Ministry of Finance.

The judges ruled on an appeal by Caixa Econômica Federal, in which the bank argues that there was no breach of confidentiality and requests a reduction in the amount of compensation. The judges understood that the amount set by the first instance of the Federal Court, after a lawsuit filed by the caretaker, was excessive. The parties can still appeal the decision.

In 2009, a majority of the ministers of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) dismissed the investigation involving Palocci, concluding that there was insufficient evidence that the then Minister of Finance ordered the violation of the caretaker's bank secrecy.

At the time, the Court opened criminal proceedings against the former president of Caixa Econômica Federal, Jorge Mattoso. In the case of journalist Marcelo Netto, former press officer for the Ministry of Finance, there was a tie, leading to the dismissal of the case.

Francenildo's bank secrecy was violated after his testimony to the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) on Bingo Halls. The caretaker told the CPI that Palocci met with lobbyists at a mansion located in an upscale area of ​​Brasília.