Judge Dirceu dos Santos Retires with Full Pension Amid Corruption Probe

The Tribunal de Justiça of Mato Grosso (TJ‑MT) granted voluntary retirement to suspended judge Dirceu dos Santos, allowing him to receive full salary and parity benefits. The retirement request was filed on 15 June, just days before the Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ) was scheduled to rule on a disciplinary proceeding against him. Dirceu has been suspended since March after the National Justice Corregidor, Minister Mauro Campbell Marques, ordered precautionary removal over allegations of cross‑nepotism and receipt of undue advantages for judicial decisions.

Investigations by the Federal Police have linked Dirceu to Operation Gemini, a branch of Operation Sisamnes that probes a suspected scheme to sell court rulings and launder money within the Mato Grosso judiciary. The probe identified unexplained asset growth of R$ 14.6 million over five years, including a R$ 1.9 million discrepancy in 2023. While the retirement grants full benefits, it does not shield Dirceu from potential administrative or criminal sanctions, and the case may be referred to the Attorney General’s Office for further action.