Fachin Suspends Rival Orders and Keeps PF Director in Post

Overview

• On Tuesday the minister André Mendonça ordered the preventive removal of PF director Andrei Rodrigues and intelligence chief Leandro Almada, citing irregular intelligence reports and alleged unlawful monitoring.
• Hours after Mendonça’s move, minister Flávio Dino issued a liminar restoring Rodrigues and Almada on grounds that their removal harmed urgent investigations under his relatoria, including the Dark Horse inquiry.
• The Advocacia‑Geral da União asked STF President Edson Fachin to suspend Mendonça’s order arguing the President of the Republic has the prerogative to appoint PF leadership.
• Fachin granted the AGU request, suspended both Mendonça’s and Dino’s conflicting rulings, kept Rodrigues provisionally in office, gave 48 hours for Rodrigues and 72 hours for Mendonça to respond, and called a plenary session for September 15.
• The dispute grew from leaked PF intelligence and messages recovered from banker Daniel Vorcaro and has strained PF operations, prompted senior PF directors to offer resignations in protest, and raised political tensions around the Lula administration.