Court ruling empowers money laundering fight

Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin on Thursday confirmed the validity of reports submitted by the anti-money laundering enforcement agency Coaf at the request of the police and without a court order.

In the case, businesswoman Helga Seibel, owner of beverage company Cerpasa, is being investigated for money laundering.

In September, the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), Brazil’s second-highest court, ruled that two Coaf reports in the investigation were invalid because they were requested by police in the northern state of Pará without prior court authorization.

Prosecutors in Pará appealed, arguing that the Supreme Court had already ruled that the Coaf could share reports with the police without a court order. 

In his ruling, Justice Zanin wrote that officials from the Federal Police, Brazil’s Central Bank and Coaf itself “expressed concern about the multiplier effect” of the STJ’s decision. The decision, he said, hindered data sharing “between the intelligence agency and criminal prosecution agents on a matter of the highest importance,” and “could have serious international law implications for Brazil” in terms of its commitments to fight money laundering.

Coaf reports are key to major investigations in Brazil. Lawmakers allied with the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration said that Coaf reports show “atypical transactions” in former President Jair Bolsonaro’s personal bank account and a total inflow of more than BRL 17 million (USD 3.4 million) in the first half of this year.

Back in January 2022, when he was still eyeing a presidential run, former judge Sergio Moro said that, as president, Mr. Bolsonaro was “afraid” that Coaf investigations would reach him and his family. Mr. Moro later mended his relationship with Mr. Bolsonaro and is currently a senator.

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