Brazil's Supreme Court may reopen investigations into Flávio Bolsonaro's alleged embezzlement scheme.
The appeal from the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office is stalled in Gilmar Mendes' office and could reopen the case of alleged salary misappropriation in the office of the senator, who was a congressman in Rio at the time.
247 - For almost two years, an appeal from the Public Prosecutor's Office of Rio de Janeiro (MP-RJ) has been awaiting analysis in the office of Minister Gilmar Mendes of the Supreme Federal Court (STF). The request, filed in May 2023, seeks to overturn a decision by the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) that annulled the evidence collected in the "rachadinha" case involving Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), report Guilherme Amado and João Pedroso de Campos, from [source name missing]. PlateauBRThe reopening of the case could represent a significant risk to the political future of Jair Bolsonaro's (PL) son, who has already signaled interest in running for the Senate in 2026 and even for the Presidency.
The "rachadinha" case dates back to 2019, when the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office (MP-RJ) accused Flávio Bolsonaro of allegedly participating in a scheme to divert salaries from employees in his office at the Rio de Janeiro State Legislative Assembly (Alerj). According to the investigations, former military police officer and former advisor Fabrício Queiroz, a figure close to the Bolsonaro family, was the operator of the scheme, which allegedly had Flávio himself as the ultimate recipient. However, the case was stalled in the courts after a decision by the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) in November 2021, which annulled all the evidence obtained by Judge Flávio Itabaiana of the 27th Criminal Court of Rio de Janeiro.
The Fifth Panel of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) ruled, by a vote of four to one, that Flávio Bolsonaro had privileged jurisdiction as a state deputy and that, therefore, the decisions of the Itabaiana court, which acted in the first instance, were invalid. As a result, all the evidence collected during the investigations was overturned. The appeal filed by the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office (MP-RJ) with the Supreme Federal Court (STF) attempts to reverse this decision and reopen the case, which could reactivate the investigations and bring new headaches for the Bolsonaro clan.
The delay in the analysis of the appeal by Minister Gilmar Mendes is generating uncertainty about the future of the case. There is no deadline for the minister to issue a decision, and the eventual reopening of the investigations could have significant impacts on Flávio Bolsonaro's political career. The senator, who has already publicly announced his intention to run for re-election in 2026, is seen by his father, Jair Bolsonaro, as an "excellent candidate" for the Presidency of the Republic. "A good negotiator, a great candidate," the former president said about his son in a recent interview.
While the appeal remains stalled at the Supreme Court, the Bolsonaro family faces a series of other investigations, including alleged coup plots, jewelry embezzlement, and vaccination card fraud. These cases could result in new charges against Jair Bolsonaro in the coming months, increasing the pressure on the clan. The reopening of the "rachadinha" case, however, could be especially damaging for Flávio, whose political image has already been shaken by the accusations.
The Supreme Court's decision on the appeal filed by the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office will be crucial in defining the course of the case and, possibly, the political future of the Bolsonaro family. Meanwhile, the wait continues, and Flávio Bolsonaro's fate remains in the hands of the Supreme Court.
