Brazil Prosecutor Asks to Close Probe into STJ Minister Over Alleged Sale of Decisions

Brazil's Prosecutor-General's Office has asked for the closure of an investigation into Og Fernandes, a minister at the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), who was suspected of involvement in the sale and leaking of judicial decisions. The investigation was opened in April and kept under strict secrecy by Supreme Court Minister Cristiano Zanin.

Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet argued that there were insufficient elements to sustain suspicions against Minister Fernandes. It is common practice for the Supreme Court to accept such requests from the Prosecutor-General's Office, leading to the closure of investigations. Fernandes is the third STJ minister to face an investigation supervised by Zanin; probes into ministers Moura Ribeiro and Marco Buzzi are still ongoing.

The request for the investigation's closure came after the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo contacted Minister Fernandes for comment. Following this contact, Fernandes's defense team reportedly approached the Prosecutor-General's Office to request a formal opinion and the archiving of the case. Gonet subsequently submitted his request for closure.

Investigations into the alleged sale and leakage of judicial decisions began at the Supreme Court in 2024, leading to an operation named Sisamnes. An initial line of inquiry by the Federal Police (PF) examined a supposed leak of information from Operation Faroeste, which itself investigates the sale of decisions within the Court of Justice of Bahia. Many of Faroeste's key inquiries were under the purview of Og Fernandes. While a supposed decision related to the case was found on a lobbyist's phone, investigations later concluded it was a fake document. The PF also noted discrepancies in the financial movements of a former chief of staff, but ultimately did not indict him in March, stating insufficient evidence at that time.

Separately, investigations into Minister Moura Ribeiro are ongoing, focusing on suspicions that his decisions may have been linked to individuals involved in alleged illicit activities, including financial transfers to a former tribunal employee. Ribeiro had previously stated he was unaware of the investigation.