Court reforms sentence and acquits Pezão of 98 years in prison

The First Specialized Panel of the Federal Regional Court (TRF2) decided, by majority vote, to grant Luiz Fernando Pezão’s criminal appeal, absolving the former governor of Rio from the first instance decision of the 7th Federal Criminal Court of Rio, 98 years in prison. With the reform of the sentence, Pezão was acquitted of the conviction of the accusations of passive and active corruption, of the investigations of the Boca de Lobo Operation. The rapporteur for the judgment was the federal judge Ivan Athié, who gave the leading vote of the judgment. In the first instance, the former governor of Rio de Janeiro was sentenced to 98 years in prison for the crimes of passive and active corruption, money laundering and criminal organization. According to the complaint, Pezão received bribes between 2007 and 2014, when he held the positions of deputy governor and secretary of Works in the Sérgio Cabral government. The sentence was handed down on June 9, 2021. The decision in the first instance was by Judge Marcelo Bretas, from the 7th Federal Criminal Court of Rio. In the decision, according to Bretas, with the documentation obtained in Operation Boca de Lobo, with testimonial and documentary evidence, testimonials from collaborators, bank, telephone and tax details, among others, it was verified that Pezão, in addition to being part of the criminal organization led by Cabral, was his successor in illicit practices when commanding the state. “It was possible to discover that Pezão was part of the same criminal organization and committed crimes against the administration and money laundering, among others, in the years he held the positions of Secretary of Works, Vice-Governor and even Governor”, ​​evaluated the judge, responsible for the investigation of Lava Jato in Rio de Janeiro. Earlier, on November 29, 2018, at the request of the Attorney General’s Office (PGR), Luiz Fernando Pezão, was arrested at Palácio Laranjeiras, the official residence of the government of Rio de Janeiro. Pezão was imprisoned in the Special Prison Battalion (BEP), for just over 1 year and was released on December 10, 2019, by decision of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ). The TRF2 decision also acquitted Affonso Henrique Monnerat, who was secretary of the Pezão government and sentenced by Marcelo Bretas to 24 years in prison.

Agência Brasil