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🇧🇷 Brazil /Crime & Justice

Novo Party seeks dismissal of investigation into Justice Mendonça

From Estadão · () Portuguese

Translated from Portuguese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Brazil’s Novo Party asked for the dismissal of an investigation into Supreme Court Justice André Mendonça, alleging irregularities in materials used by Justice Alexandre de Moraes to open the case.
  • The party said an intelligence report lacked dates, signatures and official letterhead, and described itself as having no evidentiary value.
  • Supreme Court President Edson Fachin said the case would be separated from Moraes’ investigation and placed under the court presidency’s responsibility.

Brazil’s Novo Party has asked authorities to dismiss an investigation into Supreme Federal Court Justice André Mendonça, arguing that the reports used by Justice Alexandre de Moraes contain inconsistencies and legal flaws.

The party pointed to an intelligence report that had no dates or signatures. Moraes said it was prepared by the Federal Police unit responsible for investigations involving higher courts, but the pages did not carry the force’s letterhead or identify the body that allegedly produced them. The report, according to Estadão, describes itself as having “no evidentiary value.”

These points show that the investigation request made by Justice Alexandre de Moraes against Justice André Mendonça violates a basic rule governing the initiation of criminal proceedings: an anonymous complaint or unauthenticated document cannot serve as the sole information or evidence supporting the opening of an inquiry or any other criminal investigative proceeding.

· Novo PartyThe party used this argument in its request to dismiss the investigation.

A letter signed by the Federal Police director general and addressed to Moraes said the reports were produced between Aug. 3 and Aug. 31 at the minister’s request. The decision to which the report refers, however, is dated Sept. 1. Novo argued that an anonymous complaint or unauthenticated document cannot serve as the sole basis for opening a criminal investigation.

A state investigation cannot begin with evidence whose own origin is under suspicion.

· Eduardo RibeiroThe Novo president criticized the reported basis for the investigation.

The party also said there was evidence that artificial intelligence helped write the report. Novo President Eduardo Ribeiro said, “A state investigation cannot begin with evidence whose own origin is under suspicion.” He added that the Supreme Court should demand explanations and protect legality if police acted without judicial authorization or produced irregular reports.

The investigation began within the so-called fake news inquiry, which was opened on the court’s own initiative more than seven years ago and has no defined subject, according to the party. On Friday morning, Supreme Court President Edson Fachin announced alongside President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva that Mendonça’s case would be separated from Moraes’ inquiry and placed under the court presidency’s jurisdiction.

In moments of crisis, institutions must show that the law applies to everyone, including those who exercise power.

· Eduardo RibeiroHe called for the Supreme Court to protect legality and demand explanations.
About this summary

Originally published by Estadão in Portuguese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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