Minister Sergio Moro (Justice) testified Tuesday in a session marked by the ex-judge's sarcasm and his exchange of attacks with opponents stemming from leaked Lava Jato messages by The Intercept Brasil website.
Two weeks after speaking for almost nine hours in the Senate, Moro spent more than seven hours in a session in the House talking to deputies about exchanging leaked messages with prosecutor Deltan Dallagnol. The hearing ended when a deputy called the minister a “thieving judge," sparking a riot among the lawmakers.
During the session, PSL deputies, the party of President Jair Bolsonaro, tried to avoid what they called a "firing squad" against the minister.
At the joint hearing of the Constitution and Justice, Labor and Human Rights committees, Moro said sarcastically that MPs could "keep their privileged forum", and that the publication of his messages is "a political party issue." He also criticized the OAB (Brazilian Bar Association) and The Intercept.
The session adjourned at 9.30 pm after confusion among Members. Glauber Braga (PSOL-RJ) called the minister a "thieving judge," and the ruling party's parliamentarians reacted, sparking an uproar.
"The Brazilian population will not accept as a fait accompli a corrupt and thieving judge who has won a reward for making Brazilian democracy suffer. That is what you are: a judge who has corrupted himself a thieving judge,” Braga said.
After leaving the court, Moro criticized Braga. "I came here to give the clarifications; I think I did, I answered," he said. "In the end, unfortunately, an absolutely unprepared deputy, who does follow parliamentary decorum, made an aggression, some offenses that are unacceptable, and unfortunately had to end the session."
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon