Judge defends indicting Piauí prosecutor suspected of demanding R$3 million bribe

Judge Ricardo Gentil Eulálio, of the Court of Justice of Piauí, voted to make the Public Prosecutor Maurício Verdejo Gonçalves Júnior, removed from the State Public Ministry, on suspicion of corruption, a defendant.

The trial was suspended following a request for more time for analysis by Judge Pedro Macêdo. There is no deadline for the resumption of voting.

The prosecutor is accused of demanding R$3 million in bribes from businessman Junno Pinheiro Campos de Sousa, from the hospital sector, to close two criminal investigations against him.

If the complaint is accepted, Maurício Verdejo will be charged with bribery, malfeasance, suppression of documents, and influence peddling. The Federal Police seized R$900,000 in cash from his home during the investigation.

Lawyer André Ricardo Bispo Lima, who served as an advisor to the Public Prosecutor's Office, was also charged. He was dismissed after the case became public.

The Piauí Court needs to decide whether to renew the precautionary measures imposed on the prosecutor and his former advisor, such as suspension from their duties and monitoring by an electronic ankle bracelet.

'Bilateral deal'

The defense disputes the extortion charge. Attorney João Marcos Araújo Parente, representing the prosecutor, claims that the WhatsApp conversations demonstrate an "atmosphere of bilateral transactions and business" between Vedejo and the businessman.

“It is not enough for me to receive a complaint for the crime of bribery that I only have the victim's word saying that there was a demand,” argued the lawyer before the start of the trial on the acceptance of the complaint.

The defense also claims that the complaint is “excessive” and that it did not have access to all the evidence supporting the accusations.

"Indeed, it's a sad accusation. We're here to do our part as defense attorneys, seeking the correct application of the law, but also to draw the court's attention to the fact that it's not appropriate to receive an indictment for eight crimes stemming from a single incident," the lawyer added.

Receipt of the complaint

Judge Ricardo Gentil Eulálio, the case's rapporteur, voted to initiate the criminal proceedings.

"The indictment details the events and circumstances in which they occurred. The complaint presents a coherent narrative of the criminal acts and is supported by a vast body of evidence," the judge argued.

The court is currently analyzing whether there is minimal evidence of crimes to justify opening a criminal case. The participation of the prosecutor and his or her advisor will be analyzed in the judgment on the merits of the case, if it is opened, which only occurs after the testimony of witnesses and defendants and the production of additional evidence.

Operation Iscariot

The investigation began after the businessman contacted the Federal Police to report the request for a bribe.

Junno alleged that in July 2024, he was approached by the public prosecutor at a restaurant. At the time, the prosecutor allegedly gave him a deadline to pay R$3 million to avoid further investigation and to "shield" him from further investigations.

The Federal Police carried out a controlled operation and managed to film the moment in which the prosecutor received part of the money.