Ethics case against lower house speaker to resume Tuesday
The Ethics Board of the Chamber of Deputies has set the date (February 23) of the next meeting to discuss and vote on the preliminary report about the removal of Deputy Eduardo Cunha, speaker of the house.
The Ethics Board of the Chamber of Deputies has set the date (February 23) of the next meeting to discuss and vote on the preliminary report returned by Deputy Marcos Rogério, the rapporteur, about the removal of Deputy Eduardo Cunha, speaker of the house. The rapporteur recommended the proceedings against Cunha should continue.
Cunha's defense lawyer, Marcelo Nobre, has insisted that his client should be given ten days to defend himself from the ethics complaint against him before a preliminary recommendation is offered. But Deputy Marcos Rogério contends that the formal defense does not take place at the preliminary stage of the proceedings.
Cunha's allies in the Board of Ethics criticized the decision of the chairman of the board, Deputy José Carlos Araújo, to seek a writ of mandamus from the Supreme Court to have Cunha step aside as speaker in order to ensure the independence of the board during the proceedings. Araújo said he turned to the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) for help drafting a writ of mandamus application that he should file with the Supreme Court this Thursday (18).
The speaker's allies also criticized the OAB's opinion expressed to the Board of Ethics Tuesday (16) advocating his resignation as speaker of the Chamber of Deputies during the proceedings against him.
Supreme Court rejection
In another development of the case, Supreme Court Justice Luís Roberto Barroso turned down Eduardo Cunha's request to suspend the ethics proceedings against him.
Cunha's defense filed for a writ of mandamus asking the Supreme Court to recognize that his right to be heard had been violated or suspend the proceedings until the Committee on Constitution and Justice (CCJ) of the Chamber of Deputies has considered his appeal to drop the case.
Marcelo Nobre, Cunha's lawyer, argues that the Board of Ethics has failed to give the house speaker a new opportunity to defend himself when the case rapporteur, Fausto Pinato, was replaced by Deputy Marcos Rogério.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Ethics case against lower house speaker to resume Tuesday
