The Supreme Court of Brazil sentenced former President Fernando Collor de Mello this Wednesday to eight years and ten months in prison for the crimes of passive corruption and money laundering, in a trial for bribes that he considered proven that he received between 2010 and 2014, when he was serving as a senator.
The sentence was set by the highest court in the seventh session of the trial against the former president, after Collor de Mello had been found guilty last Thursday by the majority of the ten magistrates that make up the Federal Supreme Court (STF), with eight votes in favor and two against.
According to the Supreme Court’s decision, the former president will have to begin serving his sentence in a closed regime. However, since he can still appeal the decision and has criminal benefits due to his age (73 years), he will remain free until all the appeals presented by his defense are judged.
The final sentence was almost four times less than the 33-year sentence initially proposed by magistrate Edson Fachin, instructor of the case, along with a pecuniary penalty of 20 million reais (4 million dollars or 3.4 million euros), which this Wednesday it was converted into a fine of 450 minimum wages (about 594,000 reais/US$117,159/110,000 euros).
According to the complaint filed against Collor de Mello by the Prosecutor’s Office in 2015, the former head of state used his influence in politics to benefit businessman Joao Lyra in fraudulent contracts with BR Distribuidora, a subsidiary of the state oil company Petrobras, with who keeps afriendly relationship”.
For intermediating in the concession of such contracts, for a total value of 240 million reais (today 48 million dollars), the former president received a “commission” equivalent to about 15% of that sum, as given as proven by Justice.
Collor de Mello governed Brazil between 1990 and 1992, when he resigned from the mandate at a time when Parliament was preparing to conclude an impeachment trial against him, on charges of alleged corruption of which he would later be acquitted in the same Supreme Court.
Between 2007 and 2023 he held a seat in the Senate and last year he was an unsuccessful candidate for the position of governor of the state of Alagoas, which he had already held before reaching the Presidency.
Source: EFE
Source: Gestion
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
