Brazil's most expensive lawyer loses every game.
With fees of R$ 15 million, Marcio Thomaz Bastos once again sees his request to release Carlos Cachoeira from prison denied; of the five STJ ministers who would vote, one recused herself, three voted against, and one requested a review; where is the influence of the former Minister of Justice?
247 - Former Minister of Justice and the country's most expensive lawyer, Marcio Thomaz Bastos, has not been living up to his fees lately. The Superior Court of Justice has just denied the second habeas corpus petition to release illegal gambling operator Carlos Cachoeira, who is imprisoned in Papuda, Brasília.
Of the five ministers who were supposed to evaluate the request this Tuesday, one, Laurita Vaz, recused herself, as she is from Goiás and had cordial relations with Senator Demóstenes Torres. Three voted against and one, Adilson Macabu, requested a review – his vote, however, is also expected to be against Cachoeira's release.
The racketeer has been in jail since February 29, when he was arrested as the main target of Operation Monte Carlo. Cachoeira was taken to the maximum security prison in Mossoró (RN), and later transferred to Brasília. He has been imprisoned for almost three months, even though Marcio Thomaz Bastos was hired for an alleged R$ 15 million.
The former Minister of Justice also had no success in another high-profile case: the hit-and-run of cyclist Wanderson Silva by Thor Batista. Despite all the pressure exerted by the richest man in Brazil, the Rio de Janeiro police indicted Thor Batista for manslaughter and indicated that he was driving at 135 km/h. Thomaz Bastos said he was "outraged" by the forensic investigation.
In the Cachoeira case, his only victory so far has been preventing the illegal gambling operator from testifying before the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry. But he will not be able to wait in freedom.