"Corruption is not ostensive. The corrupt do everything they can to hide the traces. But one day the truth comes to light. The EARTH is going through a transformation from a planet of trials and atonement to a world of regeneration."
The Federal Police concluded that appellate judges João Ferreira Filho and Sebastião de Moraes Filho, from the Court of Justice of Mato Grosso (TJ‑MT), received bribes in exchange for favorable judicial decisions.
The accusation is detailed in a confidential report obtained by the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo, which states that investigators have gathered “a robust body of evidence” of passive corruption and money laundering .
According to the Federal Police, the payments to the judges were made in various forms:
bank transfers, deposits into relatives’ accounts, luxury watches, and even a 400‑gram gold bar valued at R$ 126,000.
Part of the payments is believed to have been made by lawyer Roberto Zampieri, identified as the link between businessmen seeking favorable rulings and the judges .
Zampieri was murdered in December 2023 in Cuiabá.
Prior to his death, he was recognised as a central figure in the scheme, which according to the investigation moved millions to “purchase” judicial sentences.
For instance, the Federal Police traced a R$ 5 million transfer from a company linked to the lawyer to the stepdaughter of João Ferreira Filho .
In intercepted messages, Zampieri even sent photos of high-end watches to the judges under investigation.
In August 2023, he suggested buying a Vacheron Constantin Fiftysix Automatic, valued at R$ 158,000, for João Ferreira.
The offer was made to Valdoir Slapak, partner at Fource Consultoria (also under investigation for benefiting from the scheme in land‑dispute cases). “I think it’s appropriate,” Valdoir responded .
In another exchange, Zampieri showed Ferreira a Patek Philippe watch: the judge called it a “classic” and “marvelous” .
As for Judge Sebastião de Moraes Filho, investigators found bank deposit receipts totaling R$ 500,000.
On another occasion, Zampieri offered a gold bar as an improper payment. “This suggests potential money‑laundering activity conducted through the use of gold bars,” the PF report states .
Expanded URLs and Comparative Legal Opinion with Krishna & Scott Case
Here are the expanded URLs from the original article you mentioned:
Gazeta do Paraná: One of the excerpts you cited appears in a report on gazetadoparana.com.br, in which the Federal Police concluded that appellate judges João Ferreira Filho and Sebastião de Moraes Filho received bribes:
👉 https://gazetadoparana.com.br/artigo/pf-conclui-que-dois-desembargadores-de-mt-receberam-propina
Agitos Mutum also published similar content detailing values, luxury items (like watches and gold bars), and money-laundering operations:
👉 https://www.agitosmutum.com.br/geral/pf-aponta-esquema-de-r-55-milhoes-em-propina-no-tjmt/60327
Nortão Agora provides additional coverage of the bribery scheme and its ties to judicial decisions:
👉 https://www.nortaoagora.com.br/noticia/matogrosso/2025/07/18/pf-aponta-esquema-de-r-5-5-milhoes/11268.html
---
📌 Similar Judicial Cases
🧾 Operation Greylord (Chicago, USA)
One of the largest judicial corruption operations in U.S. history. Judges and court officials were convicted for selling favorable rulings. Judge Thomas J. Maloney was convicted of accepting bribes in homicide cases and served 12 years in prison.
👉 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Greylord
👉 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_J.Maloney(judge)
🧾 Gerald Garson (New York, USA)
New York Supreme Court Judge convicted in 2007 for taking bribes to manipulate divorce and custody cases. An intermediary brokered the payments.
👉 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Garson
🧾 GSIS–Meralco bribery case (Philippines)
Involved judicial favoritism and improper conduct in the Court of Appeals, leading to the dismissal of a justice. It was a political scandal involving institutional corruption.
👉 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSIS%E2%80%93Meralco_bribery_case
---
⚖️ Comparative Legal Opinion – Krishna & Scott Case vs. Ferreira/Moraes Case
1. Nature of the Corruption
In the MT case (Brazil), judges received direct payments (bank transfers, gold, luxury watches) — clear evidence of passive bribery and money laundering.
In the U.S. cases (e.g., Greylord, Garson), fixed prices were arranged to manipulate rulings — active bribery tied to specific case outcomes.
2. Means of Concealment
In Brazil, luxury goods, family members’ accounts, and gold bars were used — consistent with money laundering patterns.
In the U.S., intermediaries disguised bribes as legal fees or personal transactions.
3. Institutional Response & Sanctions
In the U.S., federal agents investigated and convicted corrupt judges (e.g., Maloney, Garson).
In Brazil, the process is still ongoing — current stage is based on a confidential Federal Police report.
4. Applicable Law
In the U.S., covered under federal “honest services fraud” and extortion statutes — strict criminal liability for public officials accepting bribes.
In Brazil, involves Articles 317 of the Penal Code (passive corruption) and Law 9.613/1998 (money laundering). Use of high-value items strengthens material evidence.
5. Technical Comparison Table
Criteria USA CASES
Ferreira/Moraes Case (Brazil)
Involved officials Trial judges or high court judges Appellate judges of a state court
Form of payment Fixer + cash or personal accounts Bank transfers, movable goods
Sanctions applied Imprisonment, career disqualification
Ongoing investigation, no conviction yet
Institutional relevance National scandal, justice reform
High local impact, partial confidentiality
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário