Judge demands respect for former presidents.
The Federal Regional Court of the 2nd Region confirms the injunction suspending Lula's summons to testify as a witness in the Mensalão corruption scheme case.
Legal Consultant - In a trial held this Tuesday (May 8), the 2nd Panel of the Federal Regional Court of the 2nd Region confirmed a preliminary injunction suspending the summons of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to testify as a witness in a "child" case of the Criminal Action underway at the Supreme Federal Court, regarding the mensalão scheme. However, what drew attention in the vote was not the well-reasoned opinion of the rapporteur, Judge Messod Azulay Neto, but his outburst regarding the summons of the former president to testify.
The judge said he was saddened as a citizen to see that Brazilians do not value national assets and institutions, such as former presidents. He complained about comments in the press that accused him of favoring the former president by unilaterally suspending Lula's summons.
“No one is being given preferential treatment. It would be preferential treatment to bring the former president of the Republic in to testify about a story he has nothing to do with. That would be playing to the media or yielding to the demands of a delaying tactic,” he clarified.
As reported by ConJur, the former president was listed as a defense witness by the former Attorney General of the National Treasury, Glênio Sabbad Guedes, who is facing criminal charges for passive corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion.
Guedes is accused of receiving bribes from advertising executive Marcos Valério Fernandes de Souza and his partners Rogério Lanza Tolentino and José Roberto Moreira de Melo in exchange for issuing opinions that would result in the cancellation of fines against financial institutions, notably Banco Rural, at the National Financial System Appeals Council (CRSFN), known as "Conselhinho".