Brazil’s supreme court has jailed former president Ferdinando Collor de Mello

The bribery was exchanged for contracts from a construction company whose subsidiary state-run oil company is Petrobras.

Brazil's supreme court has jailed former president Ferdinando Collor de Mello Brazil's supreme court has jailed former president Ferdinando Collor de Mello

On Wednesday, Brazil’s Supreme court sentenced former president, 73 years-old Ferdinando Collor de Mallo to 10 months in prison for taking 20 million reais ($4 million) in bribes as a senator between 2010 and 2014. The bribery was exchanged for contracts from a construction company whose subsidiary state-run oil company is Petrobras.

Collor led Brazil from 1990 to 1992.
He was the country’s first democratically elected president after the 1964-1985 military dictatorship. He resigned as president in 1992 to avoid impeachment over corruption allegations.

Earlier in the trial, Supreme Court’s justices found him guilty of corruption and money laundering in the Petrobas case in an eight-to-two ruling, Although, the lead judge on the case, Edson Fachin, recommended a sentence of 33 years.

Fachin while giving his vote on the judgment said, “The facts in the trial are extremely serious and portray the nefarious misuse of public functions for personal and patrimonial promotion.”

Collor was accused of playing partisan politics with his appointments and contracts. He was also accused of money laundering through 40 accounts and 65 company accounts under his name. However, his defense council denied such accusations.

Collor was 40 years when he took over Brazil’s leadership mantle from the then president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 1989. Prior to that, he was a successful karate champion.

He was a jovial, nonconformist and political reformer. He capitalized on his social image during his campaign to become the president. He promised to fight absenteeism by high-salaried public officials.

However, within 2 years of his tenure as president, corruption allegations were levelled at him. The accusations prompted impeachment proceedings from Congress against him. Thousands of Brazilians took to the streets to register their displeasure, calling for his resignation.

Recall that Lula, the current president, who handed over to Collor in 1989 was also jailed for bribery corruption for a year and half. However, his conviction was later thrown out by court.

The task force behind all the wide investigations against Petrobras and political elites was disbanded in 2021 and Lula contested for presidency again in 2022 and won.

 

Nwachineke Uchechukwu Ekeoma reporting, Obinwannem news writer 1st June 2023

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