Former centre-right Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello (1990-1992) was convicted by the Supreme Federal Court of corruption and money laundering in the context of the Lava Jato scandal.
Eight of the 10 judges ruled in favor of the conviction. The examining magistrate for the case, Edson Fachin, proposed a prison sentence of 33 years, but this will not be announced until May 31.
The first head of state to be elected by direct universal suffrage after the military dictatorship, 73-year-old Collor is accused of receiving 20 million reais (about €3.8 million) in bribes between 2010 and 2014 when he was a senator.
Fachin believed that the former president “used political influence to facilitate the signing of contracts”.
According to the prosecution, about 40 payments were made to “irregularly facilitate” the signing of these contracts between a construction company and a subsidiary of the state oil company Petrobras.
The defense refuted all charges.
The investigation was opened in the context of the Lava Jato scandal, which rocked Brazil from 2014.
Collor de Mello ruled Brazil between 1990 and 1992, when he stepped down as the country’s congress was preparing to finalize a dismissal procedure for passive corruption, an accusation from which he would later be cleared by the judiciary.
He returned to politics in 2006 and was elected Senator for Alagoas (Northeast), a position he held until late last year.
Source: DN
