Panel SA: MPF asks for conviction of Aécio in case with Joesley Batista

The MPF (Federal Public Ministry) reinforced this Tuesday (22) its request for the conviction of federal deputy Aécio Neves (PSDB) with the loss of mandate for the crime of passive corruption.

The requests were made in the closing arguments presented by the MPF in the last stage of the process before the trial. The body also asked for the return of R$ 2 million and the payment of R$ 4 million by the deputy to repair moral damages.

In the document, the MPF requested the acquittal of the parliamentarian in relation to the crime of obstruction of justice, because the hypothesis that he directed Federal Police delegates to act in his favor was not proven.

The toucan is accused of receiving R$2 million from Joesley Batista in 2017, when he was a senator.

According to the lawsuit, the intention of the former president of J&F with the payments was to buy good relations with Aécio and have him as an ally.

The action was opened in the Federal Supreme Court in April 2018, but was referred to the first instance of the Federal Court.

Sought by the SA Panel, the defense of Aécio Neves said that the Federal Public Ministry recognized the mistakes of the accusations originally formulated by the attorney general and asked for the acquittal of the deputy for the crime of obstruction of justice.

According to the defense of the federal deputy, the fact that the whistleblowers, when heard in court, “removed any illegality involving the loan” made to Aécio, was ignored in the MPF’s request for conviction.

“The evidence made it clear that there was no crime and the defense is calmly awaiting the assessment by the Judiciary,” said the defense in a statement.

Joana Cunha with Andressa Motter and Ana Paula Branco ​