The Minister of Luís Roberto Barroso, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), canceled the testimony of Minister Paulo Guedes (Economy) to the Federal Police that was scheduled for this Wednesday (1st), in an inquiry that investigates Senator Renan Calheiros (MDB- AL).
The defense of the Minister of Economy had requested the waiver on the grounds that he has no relation to the object of the investigation and that he was not mentioned in the case file or indicated as a witness by the PGR (Prosecutor General’s Office).
He also said that he did not have access to copies of the records that justified the subpoena.
Guedes had been called to testify as part of an inquiry against Calheiros for alleged fraud in Postalis, the Post Office’s pension fund. He would be heard as a declarant, that is, not investigated.
In his decision, Barroso stated that there is no impediment for the PF to hear people not indicated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, but added that the Criminal Procedure Code allows ministers of State to agree with the judge the date, time and place of the deposition.
It also said that a deponent must have prior access to documents that justify the call to be heard.
Barroso pointed out that, despite having canceled Guedes’ testimony, the head of the Economy can be invited again by the Federal Police if there is just reason.
“The possibility of hearing the Minister of State, as a witness, in an investigative procedure is not excluded.
On the 25th, Guedes’ lawyer, Ticiano Figueiredo, tried to arrange an off-the-book meeting with the Attorney General of the Republic, Augusto Aras, to try to exempt the head of the government’s economic team from testifying to the Federal Police.
The request for a meeting was released by Aras himself, in a faulty act. He posted on his WhatsApp status a message that should be sent to an assistant.
“Would it be possible to receive Paulo Guedes’ lawyer, Dr. Ticiano Figueiredo, for five minutes? Subject: possible dismissal of Paulo Guedes, with the PF, in an investigative process against Renan Calheiros, where Guedes is not a party.”
In another message, a reply: “Yes. We will speak by cell phone and adjust”.
The texts were deleted by Aras in the evening minutes after publication.
Sought, the PGR said that Aras received the request for a hearing with Guedes’ lawyer and replied that “measures would be taken to check the feasibility of a future agenda”.
The investigation aimed at Calheiros originates from the award-winning collaboration agreement of a former executive of Hypermarcas, currently Hypera Pharma, signed by the PGR during the management of the then attorney general Rodrigo Janot.
The investigation was opened in 2017 and looks at the senator’s relationship with Milton Lyra, appointed by investigators as a lobbyist for MDB members at Postalis.
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