Brasília Governor Loses Office to Stay Politically Alive

José Roberto Arruda The jailed governor of the Federal District, José Roberto Arruda, in a gambit, in what has long been a juridical-political chess game,  has decided he will not appeal a decision by the Regional Electoral Court (TRE-DF) that removed him from office for “political party infidelity.”

By accepting the forfeiture of office ruling by the TRE-DF, Arruda “escapes” impeachment by the Federal District Legislative Chamber (CLDF), while the CLDF itself gets off the hook as well: it no longer has to impeach him or authorize the Superior Justice Court (STJ) – the federal appellate court – to prosecute him for breach of trust.

As Arruda will no longer be an elected official, he no longer will have “privileged venue in court” or “privileged accommodations in jail.”  That means he will face criminal charges – specifically falsifying documents and trying to bribe a witness – as a common citizen.

In consequence he will be put on trial now in a lower court (Tribunal de Justiça do Distrito Federal e Territórios (TJDFT) instead of at the Superior Justice Court (STJ). And if found guilty will go to the Papuda penitentiary. However, all that remains a slight possibility.

Arruda’s gambit seems to be that by accepting punishment for an electoral crime he will be able to avoid facing the criminal charges, stay alive politically and get out of jail.

Chico Leite, an opposition deputy in the CLDF, called these possibilities the result of a “strange contradiction” in Brazilian electoral laws that should be changed urgently.

“With the TRE condemnation, Arruda gets forfeiture of office and he also gets a justification for not facing the charges of political-administrative crimes!”

Arruda also does not lose his political rights, which means that he can run for office again.

ABr

Tags:

You May Also Like

The Survivor and the Stubborn

This game of football exceeds the stupidity of human militarism by the group energy ...

Worried with Brazil’s Image Government Steps In to Prevent Gouging at Rio +20

The Brazilian government stepped in and negotiated a reduction of at least 20% in ...

Second Group of Iraqi Refugees Arrives in Brazil

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced that the second group of ...

In Brazil, Rural Illiteracy Is 27%

There was a decline in Brazil’s illiteracy rate between 1993 and 2003, according to ...

Brazil: Lessons for Living

At the Maanaim Center, in São Paulo, children are expected to maintain personal and ...

Brazil Submits New General to Head UN Forces in Haiti

The Brazilian government has submitted to the United Nations the name of general José ...

Brazilian Rice Growers Say They Are Losing Money and Nobody Cares

In the city of Esteio, 25 km from Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande ...

January 1st 2008: The Day Brazil Goes Biodiesel

The scene of petroleum gushing out of an accidental hole in arid land, as ...

Lula Assures Brazilians Bolivia Conflict Won’t Raise Gas Prices

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva admitted that it was a mistake for ...

Analysts Upgrade Forecast for Brazil’s Surplus to US$ 38 Billion

The good performance in Brazilian exports in the beginning of the year has caused ...