NEWS IN ENGLISH – Majority of Supreme Court condemns former top presidential aide for running bribery ring

10/10/2012 10:48

NEWS IN ENGLISH – Majority of Supreme Court condemns former top presidential aide for running bribery ring

Heloisa Cristaldo and Débora Zampier Reporters Agência Brasil

Brasília – Yesterday, Tuesday, October 9, the Brazilian Supreme Court continued the trial of Penal Case 470, the mensalão, second part of chapter six: active corruption (that is, bribery) by leaders in the PT, along with officials in ad agencies and banks. The bribes were allegedly paid to members of Congress in 2003-2004 so they would vote with the government.

Allegedly no more. After yesterday’s session, there are now six votes to condemn eight out of the ten defendants charged with active corruption in the second part of chapter six – clear evidence that a majority of the court is convinced the vote-buying scheme existed.

Last week, the justice relator, Joaquim Barbosa, the justice-revisor, Ricardo Lewandowski, along with justices Rosa Weber and Luiz Fux, voted. Yesterday, justices José Dias Toffoli, Carmen Lúcia, Gilmar Mendes and Marco Aurelio Mello voted.

The scorecard at the moment (morning, October 10) in the second part of chapter six (only a small piece of this unwieldy, complicated case where 36 defendants are charged with multiple counts of seven different crimes) is as follows:

1) Jose Dirceu, the former presidential Chief of Staff (“ministro-chefe da Casa Civil”) guilty 6 to 2.

2) José Genoino, former president of the PT, guilty 7 to 1.

3) Delúbio Soares, former PT treasurer, guilty 8 to 0.

4) Anderson Adauto, former minister of Transportation, not guilty 8 to 0.

5) Marcos Valério, head of ad agency, guilty 8 to 0

6) Ramon Hollerbah, partner in ad agency, guilty 8 to 0

7) Cristiano Paz, partner in ad agency, guilty 8 to 0

8) Rogério Tolentino, ad agency lawyer, guilty 6 to 2.

9) Simone Vasconcelos, bank director, guilty 8 to 0

10) Geiza Dias, manager at ad agency, not guilty 7 to 1

This afternoon, October 10, the final votes on the second part of chapter six, by justice Celso Mello and the Chief Justice, Carlos Aryes Britto, should be concluded.

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English

Link - Maioria no STF vota pela condenação de José Dirceu por corrupção ativa