Ferro: "The Supreme Court cannot be a talk show"
A federal deputy from the Workers' Party (PT) criticized the suspension and subsequent postponement of the trial of Criminal Action 470, which has been dragging on in the Supreme Federal Court (STF) since last year. According to the congressman, the sentence should be based on technical criteria, in order to prevent the Supreme Federal Court from becoming "a talk show." "There has never been so much politicization in a trial. In this discussion, the STF cannot be a talk show," he remarked.
PE247 - Federal Deputy Fernando Ferro (PT-PE) criticized, this Friday (13), the suspension and consequent postponement of the trial of Criminal Action 470, the so-called Mensalão, which has been dragging on in the Judiciary since last year. For the parliamentarian, the sentence must be based on technical criteria, in order to avoid the Supreme Federal Court (STF) becoming “an auditorium program”. “The close score shows that the court is divided and a technical view must prevail. There has never been so much politicization in a trial. In this discussion, the STF cannot be an auditorium program,” the deputy quipped to Rádio JC News.
A day after the Supreme Court session on the admissibility of appeals in the Mensalão scandal, which was suspended after the court members' vote ended in a tie of 5 votes in favor of the appeals and 5 against, Ferro made a kind of "mea culpa" from the Workers' Party. "It's a lesson for us, who thought we were very pure. But we are human beings. Whoever has made mistakes must pay," he declared. "As for Minister Marco Aurélio saying that the judgment should indeed consider public opinion, that's not correct on the part of a jurist. I will not participate in this story, but I am also paying the price," he commented, explaining clearly that the Mensalão scandal was an operation to negotiate political support behind the scenes.
“We don’t defend that. The government could have made other alliances,” he stated. Ferro also demanded greater attention from the Supreme Court regarding the so-called “Minas Gerais Mensalão,” which also involves businessman Marcos Valério, as well as Senator Eduardo Azeredo (PSDB-MG). “This reflects poorly on the Supreme Court. What is the reason for treating us like this while the PSDB Mensalão doesn’t go to trial? This will demoralize the Supreme Court,” he concluded.
The Supreme Court's decision on whether or not to accept the defendants' appeal, through the dissenting opinions, was supposed to have been made this Thursday (12). However, the 5-5 tie in the vote left the deciding vote to Minister Celso de Mello, who is expected to present his decision next Wednesday (18). According to Mello, the vote is already prepared and will not be influenced by pressure or public opinion.
If the vote is yes, the sentences of those accused in the Mensalão scandal will be re-evaluated, which is being seen as a kind of second trial in the case. If Mello votes no, the possibility of executing the sentences of the 25 convicted in the Mensalão scandal will be opened. In an interview after the session, however, the minister declared himself in favor of the appeals and stated that he sees no reason to change his vote. The minister's statement suggests that, after the 18th, a new trial will be agreed upon for the defendants in the Mensalão scandal.