NEWS IN ENGLISH – Majority of Supreme Court finds ten defendants guilty of conspiracy in Penal Case 470, the mensalão

23/10/2012 11:17

Heloisa Cristaldo        Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – The Chief Justice, Carlos Ayres Britto, voted in accordance with the justice-relator, Joaquim Barbosa and condemned for conspiracy the former presidential Chief of Staff (“ex-chefe da Casa Civil”), José Dirceu; the former president of the PT, José Genoino; and the former PT treasurer, Delúbio Soares (members of the so-called mensalão political core); as well as members of the publicity core (“núcleo publicitário”), Marcos Valério, Ramon Hollerbarch, Simone Vasconcelos and Cristiano Paz; along with members of the financial core (“núcleo financeiro”), Kátia Rabello, José Roberto Salgado and Vinícius Samarane.

Ayres Britto explained his position this way: “It is essential that society not lose its faith. The State must be capable of an adequate penal response.” He also refuted the position taken by justice Rosa Weber, who said that a conspiracy had to "disrupt the social peace" ("deve haver abalo à paz social"). According to the Chief Justice, the law was not restricted to definitions found in dictionaries.

With the vote of the Chief Justice yesterday, the judgment of all the chapters in Penal Case 470 has now been concluded and the only thing that remains to be done is sentencing (“dosimetria”).

Here is a breakdown on the conspiracy (“quadrilha”) chapter. Ten defendants were found guilty by a majority of the court, two were absolved, and the vote on one of the accused was tied at 5 to 5.

1) José Dirceu: guilty 6 votes to 4 (Joaquim Barbosa, Luiz Fux, Gilmar Mendes, Marco Aurélio Mello, Celso de Mello and Ayres Britto/ voted to absolve: Ricardo Lewandowski, Rosa Weber, Cármen Lúcia and Dias Toffoli)

2) José Genoino: guilty 6 votes to 4 (Joaquim Barbosa, Luiz Fux,Gilmar Mendes, Marco Aurélio Mello, Celso de Mello and Ayres Britto / voted to absolve: Ricardo Lewandowski, Rosa Weber, Cármem Lúcia and Dias Toffoli)

3) Delúbio Soares: guilty 6 votes to 4 (Joaquim Barbosa, Luiz Fux, Gilmar Mendes, Marco Aurélio Mello, Celso de Mello and Ayres Britto / voted to absolve: Ricardo Lewandowski, Rosa Weber, Cármen Lúcia and Dias Toffoli)

4) Marcos Valério: guilty 6 votes to 4 (Joaquim Barbosa, Luiz Fux, Gilmar Mendes, Marco Aurélio Mello, Celso de Mello and Ayres Britto / voted to absolve: Ricardo Lewandowski, Rosa Weber, Cármen Lúcia and Dias Toffoli)

5) Ramon Hollerbach: guilty 6 votes to 4 (Joaquim Barbosa, Luiz Fux, Gilmar Mendes, Marco Aurélio Mello, Celso de Mello and Ayres Britto / voted to absolve: Ricardo Lewandowski, Rosa Weber, Cármen Lúcia and Dias Toffoli)

6) Cristiano Paz: guilty 6 votes to 4 (Joaquim Barbosa, Luiz Fux, Gilmar Mendes, Marco Aurélio Mello, Celso de Mello and Ayres Britto / voted to absolve: Ricardo Lewandowski, Rosa Weber, Cármen Lúcia and Dias Toffoli)

7) Rogério Tolentino: guilty 6 votes to 4 (Joaquim Barbosa, Luiz Fux, Gilmar Mendes, Marco Aurélio Mello, Celso de Mello and Ayres Britto / voted to absolve: Ricardo Lewandowski, Rosa Weber, Cármen Lúcia and Dias Toffoli)

8) Simone Vasconcelos: guilty 6 votes to 4 (Joaquim Barbosa, Luiz Fux, Gilmar Mendes, Marco Aurélio Mello, Celso de Mello and Ayres Britto / voted to absolve: Ricardo Lewandowski, Rosa Weber, Cármen Lúcia and Dias Toffoli)

9) Kátia Rabello: guilty 6 votes to 4 (Joaquim Barbosa, Luiz Fux, Gilmar Mendes, Marco Aurélio Mello, Celso de Mello and Ayres Britto / voted to absolve: Ricardo Lewandowski, Rosa Weber, Cármen Lúcia and Dias Toffoli)

10) José Roberto Salgado: guilty 6 votes to 4 (Joaquim Barbosa, Luiz Fux, Gilmar Mendes, Marco Aurélio Mello, Celso de Mello and Ayres Britto / voted to absolve: Ricardo Lewandowski, Rosa Weber, Cármen Lúcia and Dias Toffoli)

11) Geiza Dias: not guilty 9 votes (Marco Aurélio Mello voted guilty)

12) Ayanna Tenório: not guilty 10 votes

13) Vinícius Samarane: 5 votes to 5 (voted guilty: Joaquim Barbosa, Luiz Fux, Gilmar Mendes, Celso de Mello and Ayres Britto / voted to absolve: Ricardo Lewandowski, Rosa Weber, Cármen Lúcia, Dias Toffoli and Marco Aurélio Mello)

The sentencing begins today (Tuesday, October 23) during a special extra session.

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English

Link - STF: maioria condena Dirceu, Genoino, Delúbio e mais sete réus por formação de quadrilha