Vinicius Konchinski and Elaine Patrícia Cruz          Reporters Agência Brasil

São Paulo – Campinas, the state of São Paulo’s third largest urban center with around a million inhabitants, has had a very busy political week. After the elected mayor was removed by the City Council over the weekend (August 20-21), the vice mayor took office only to have the City Council vote to remove him and install, pursuant to local statutes, the City Council president as mayor.

The president of the city council (“Câmera dos Vereadores”), Pedro Serafim (PDT) took office on Wednesday following the temporary removal of the former vice mayor, Demétrio Vilagra (PT), who held the office of mayor for less than 48 hours, after the elected mayor, Hélio de Oliveira Santos (PDT), was removed during the weekend.

One of the most serious accusations against Dr. Helio, as the (first) mayor is known, was taking bribes and kickbacks involving contracts with the local water company (“Sociedade de Abastecimento de Água e Saneamento de Campinas – Sanasa”). It turns out that there is evidence that Vilagra (the second mayor), who was also the Sanasa administrator, was involved in fraudulent activities at Sanasa together with Dr. Helio.

Vilagra’s lawyer presented an interesting defense of his client: “The commission that ruled for his investigation and temprorary removal is a specific commission (“comissão processante”) that can only rule on activities by the mayor. My client was not the mayor. He was the vice mayor,” said the lawyer.

Pedro Serafim, the new (third) mayor, says there is evidence that Vilagra, as acting mayor, did in fact participate in irregular business at Senasa on a number of occasions.

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English

Link - Campinas terá amanhã terceiro prefeito em menos de uma semana