Brazil: “I am saddened” says ex-judge Moro on dropping proceedings against Lula

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Former Minister of Justice Sergio Moro, candidate for the Presidency of Brazil, on Tuesday, December 7, criticized a decision by the Prosecutor’s Office benefiting ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his rival in the 2022 elections and a former defendant whom he had convicted.

“This decision today saddens me, because we see a Justice system that does not rule on merit,” Moro complained.

In the morning, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office argued for the shelving of investigations into the triplex case, in which Lula had been convicted by Moro and the 4th Federal Regional Court.

Arguing the likely running of the statute of limitations – which is halved for those accused over age 70 (Lula is 76) – the Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday decided that a new investigation into the case would be too time-consuming and could not end with a sentence being imposed.

As a result of the triplex verdict, Lula lost his clean record status and was not eligible to run in the 2018 elections.

After leaked conversations exchanged by Moro with prosecutors from Operation Lava Jato, the ex-judge was declared biased by the Federal Supreme Court (STF). This bias led to the annulment of the triplex case conviction and its review by the Prosecutor’s Office.

If the Judiciary agrees with the dismissal, the triplex case will no longer be investigated or lead to criminal proceedings against Lula.

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