Gilmar Mendes of the Brazilian Supreme Court orders the return of cell phones after suspending the investigation against FGV

The Justice also threatened to open proceedings against PF agents who disobeyed his orders.

After suspending the investigation into crimes of corruption, fraud, and money laundering at Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), the Supreme Court (STF) Justice, Gilmar Mendes, ordered the Federal Police (PF) to “immediately return” the goods seized from the directors of the institution.

FGV is a world-renowned private educational and research institution based in Rio de Janeiro.

In the operation launched last week, the PF collected foreign currency values, cell phones, and computers.

In addition to ordering the return, Mendes threatened to prosecute the PF agents who disobeyed his orders.

To suspend the investigation against FGV, the Justice alleged incompetence of the Federal Justice of Rio de Janeiro.

According to Mendes, the state court should investigate the case.

In the same order in which he suspended the investigations, Gilmar Mendes ordered to notify the corrections of the National Council of Justice (CNJ) and the National Council of Public Prosecutors (CNMP) for having “repeated failure to comply with decisions (of the STF)” on the competence of Operation Lava Jato.

As reported by BSM, the Foundation’s breach of confidentiality could spill over to the STF since FGV has financial relationships with members of higher courts.