STF Justices Mendonça and Dino Likely to Keep Lulinha Investigation in Supreme Court

The Prosecutor General's Office (PGR) has requested that the investigation into Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, known as Lulinha, be transferred from the Supreme Federal Court (STF) to a lower court. The PGR argues that the case should be moved because no authorities with privileged forum status are explicitly involved in the suspected influence peddling. However, Justice André Mendonça has signaled his intention to deny this request and maintain the inquiry under his relatorship. Justice Flávio Dino, who is overseeing another investigation into Lulinha, is expected to follow suit to ensure uniform treatment of the cases. The investigations center on allegations that Lulinha used his position as the son of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to influence the Ministry of Health regarding the sale of medicinal cannabis in Brazil. The defense for Lulinha denies any wrongdoing and claims the investigation is politically motivated. Center right sources frame the PGR request as a strategic attempt to remove the case from Justice Mendonça's scrutiny, describing it as an institutional offensive or a regimental trap. In contrast, center left coverage presents the PGR request as a technical legal argument based on the lack of privileged forum status, while noting that Mendonça's allies suspect an attempt to sideline him due to his rigor in other cases.