Brazil’s former president sentenced to almost 9 years in prison for corruption

Brazil’s former president sentenced to almost 9 years in prison for corruption

June 1, 2023   11:44 pm

Brazil’s supreme court voted on Wednesday to sentence former President Fernando Collor de Mello to 8 years and 10 months in prison on corruption and money laundering charges.

The Brazilian prosecutor’s office accused Collor, 73, of having received around 30 million reais ($6 million) in bribes from a subsidiary of state-run oil company Petrobras.

The top court convicted the former senator in mid-May, but justices had still to decide on his sentence, which he can appeal.

Collor was a dashing, liberalizing politician who became Brazil’s first democratically elected president in 1989 after a two-decade military dictatorship, but he resigned three years later after the lower house of Congress impeached him.

A rakish, dynastic heir with a penchant for expensive sports cars, Collor was one of Brazil’s original free-marketeers who opposed Brazil’s entrenched protectionism and sought to privatize state-run firms in his curtailed presidency.

He continued in politics and later served 26 years as a conservative senator for the northeastern state of Alagoas, where his well-to-do family was from. He chaired the foreign relations committee He lost his seat in last year’s elections.

Collor himself could not immediately be reached for comment. In a note released by the time of his conviction, his defense lawyers said Collor did “not commit any crime” and expressed confidence that he would ultimately be exonerated.


Source: Reuters
-Agencies

Disclaimer: All the comments will be moderated by the AD editorial. Abstain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or slanderous. Please avoid outside hyperlinks inside the comment and avoid typing all capitalized comments. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by flagging them(mouse over a comment and click the flag icon on the right side). Do use these forums to voice your opinions and create healthy discourse.

Most Viewed Video Stories

NEWS IN BRIEF | PRIME TIME |2023.09.29

NEWS IN BRIEF | PRIME TIME |2023.09.29

70-year-old critically injured after being crushed by fallen utility pole

Over 120 millimetres of rainfall recorded in Kukuleganga, Kalutara

Social Security Levy to be added to LECO to electricity bills from September

Another electricity tariff hike in October?

Maintaining both financial, social stability important - IMF on DDO programme (English)

President Ranil holds bilateral talks with Germany, Kazakhstan leaders (English)

Social Security Levy to be added to LECO electricity bills from this month (English)