Mato Grosso Court orders former Health Secretary to testify at CPI

The Mato Grosso Court of Justice (TJMT) has denied a preventive habeas corpus request filed by the defense of former State Health Secretary Gilberto Figueiredo. The ruling prevents Figueiredo from avoiding a summons to testify before the Health Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) of the Legislative Assembly of Mato Grosso.

Figueiredo is scheduled to testify on Wednesday, August 26, regarding contracts managed by the health department between 2019 and 2025. His legal team argued that the timing of the testimony could constitute ‘electoral lawfare,’ potentially influencing public perception and impacting his candidacy for state deputy during the election period.

However, Justice Marcos Machado ruled that the CPI is constitutionally sanctioned and that its investigations are tied to specific, pre-determined periods and contracts. The court noted that there was no evidence of abuse of power by the commission or a violation of constitutional guarantees during the proceedings.