Minister Benedito Gonçalves, of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), decided this Thursday (13) to deny a request by the defense of former president Jair Bolsonaro to withdraw the secrecy of the investigation that could make him ineligible.
The request was made after the lawyers complained about the disclosure of the opinion in which the Electoral Public Ministry (MPE) asked for Bolsonaro’s ineligibility. The request occurred within the scope of the process that discuss the legality of the former president’s meeting with ambassadors to criticize the electronic voting system, in 2022.
In the decision, the minister said that the secrecy of procedural documents is necessary to protect the evidence and that the defense itself can disclose the information it deems necessary.
“Considering that the procedural subjects were reminded, in the previous order, that it is everyone’s duty to preserve the confidential information transcribed or evaluated in the referred documents, it is concluded that the investigated themselves, if they so wish, may adopt measures to ensure that the public disclosure of its final allegations complies with this guideline, either by means of tarje or other sufficient measure for the purpose set forth in the order”, he decided.
The order was issued in the investigation action in which the PDT contests the legality of the meeting with ambassadors. The process is in the final arguments phase, the last one before the trial, which could take place in the first half of this year.
