The second panel of the Supreme Federal Court will conclude Cabral's trial in the coming days.
The former governor of Rio has been in pre-trial detention since 2016.
Brazil Agency – The second panel of the Supreme Federal Court is expected to conclude in the coming days the trial that will decide whether to maintain or release former Rio de Janeiro governor Sérgio Cabral to serve his sentence under house arrest. The politician has been in pre-trial detention since 2016.
With the trial resuming this Friday (9), Minister André Mendonça voted in the virtual plenary against maintaining the arrest which, according to him, “is not reasonable”. “Given the long period that has elapsed since the arrest warrant was issued and the significant change in the factual circumstances, the grounds that justified the custody are no longer valid,” said the minister.
In June, the case's rapporteur, Minister Edson Fachin, had already voted in favor of maintaining the imprisonment, and in October, after requesting a review, Minister Ricardo Lewandowski opened the dissenting opinion and voted to end the imprisonment. The virtual format of the trials does not require oral presentations from the ministers, only a vote agreeing with or disagreeing with the rapporteur. The score so far is 2 votes to 1 in favor of Cabral's release. The votes of Ministers Gilmar Mendes and Nunes Marques are still pending.
History
Cabral was arrested as part of Operation Lava Jato, accused of receiving bribes to benefit businessmen in projects such as the renovation of the Maracanã stadium and the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) for the favelas. In 35 cases – 33 in the Federal Court and two in the Rio de Janeiro Court – he was sentenced in 23 federal criminal cases to more than 425 years in prison, but recent decisions by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) may lead to some of these convictions being modified or annulled.
Cabral is the only well-known politician indicted in Operation Lava Jato who remains in prison. The former governor is in the Special Prison Battalion of the Military Police in Niterói, in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro.
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