Judge Moro Takes on Average Two Days Off per Month in order to Travel across Brazil and Abroad

06/11/2018 - 12h13

In order to go to the opera in Monaco earlier this month, which he watched from the royal cabin, Judge Sergio Moro had to request a five-day leave of absence to take time off from the 13th Federal Court in Curitiba, Paraná. Since the beginning of 2017, he has requested 37 days off - an average of two days off per month, not including vacation.

According to the press office of the 4th Federal Regional Court, on 19 of the 37 days, another judge was appointed to replace him, meaning the substitute had to balance his full-time position with oversight of Operation Car Wash (Lava Jato). For the remaining 18 days, Mr. Moro oversaw the operation remotely.

	William Volcov/Brazil Photo Press/Folhapress
	Judge Sergio Moro in New York

Examples of rulings he made from a distance were the convictions of former congressman Eduardo Cunha (MDB) and former minister Antonio Palocci.

Of the 37 days he was away from work, 20 were spent abroad. Moro also waived his vacation in order to comply with his deadlines.

Recently, he took off 9 days from work in order to go to New York to attend meetings organized by banks, academic centers and business groups. He wound up extending his trip in order to deliver a graduation speech at the University of Notre Dame, in Indiana. Instead of showing up for work, he took the following day off as well: a form of wrapping up his vacation.

The court only covered his travel expenses for an official trip in 2017. The remaining trips were either paid for by those who extended the invitations or by Mr. Moro himself.

Despite such absences, Mr. Moro has received his full monthly salary - R$ 28,948 (US$ 7,823), not including benefits.

Such leaves of absence are foreseen in the articles of the the 4th Regional Federal Court's Code of Conduct. When asked whether substitute judges might face too big a workload, the Federal Court said their workloads weren't an issue.

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

Read the article in the original language