Move to impeach Brazilian president

Move to impeach Brazilian president

RIO DE JANEIRO — A formal request for President Fernando Collor de Mello's removal from the presidency was presented to the national Congress on September 1 by leaders of Brazil's press and bar associations.

The document charges that collor received illegal benefits from an influence-peddling ring headed by his friend and former campaign treasurer, businessman Paulo Cesar Farias, that he allowed corruption within his administration, lied publicly and violated the dignity and decorum of the presidency.

Based on the findings of a parliamentary commission of inquiry, the petition recalls that collor and several of his relatives received "large sums of money, together with other benefits", from illegal activities.

These substantial sums came from "a criminal organisation" controlled by Farias, whose links with the president were revealed in the course of the commission's 85-day investigation.

The petition also charges that the president lied in his televised message to the nation on June 30, when he denied that his personal and household expenses were paid by farias.

The formal petition paves the way for a congressional vote that could lead to Collor's impeachment.

The lower chamber, consisting of 503 deputies, must now decide whether to initiate impeachment proceedings, which would be conducted by the Senate. A two-thirds vote in each house would be necessary to remove Collor.

Meanwhile, Brazil's attorney general, Aristides Junqueira, received almost 500 kilograms of documents prepared by the parliamentary commission that investigated allegations of government corruption.

In addition to a congressional impeachment process, legal experts believe that Junqueira could also order criminal proceedings against the president for common crimes.

If the charges are accepted, Collor could be tried by the federal Supreme Court, Brazil's highest court. [From Inter Press Service/Pegasus.]

From GLW issue 71