Agência Brasil

Brasília - Yesterday (15), in a secret vote on the floor of the Chamber of Deputies, deputy Pedro Corréa (PE), president of the Progressive Party (PP) was deprived of his seat by a vote of 261-166. There were also 19 abstentions and 5 blank votes. The president of the Chamber immediately declared the Pernambucan legislator no longer a member of the body.

This is the third mandate revoked since some of the Chamber's members were first accused of involvement in an under-the-table monthly payment scheme known as the "mensalão." The other two belonged to Roberto Jefferson (PTB-RJ) and José Dirceu (PT-SP).

In another vote, the floor of the Chamber decided to dismiss charges against deputy Pedro Henry (PP-MT) in a suit alleging breach of parliamentary decorum. The vote was 255-176 in Henry's favor, with 20 abstentions and 2 blank votes. The case against the ex-leader of the PP will be closed.

Henry had already be cleared by a vote of 9-5 in the Ethics Council of the charge of being one of the parliamentarians responsible for distributing the "mensalão" in the PP.

Translation: David Silberstein