Supreme Court Decides on the Imprisonment of José Dirceu and Others Convicted in the Mensalão Scandal

11/14/2013 - 08h28

Eight years after accepting the charges of the mensalão (big monthly payment) scandal, the Supreme Court has decided to arrest the principle figures in the case, like former Minister José Dirceu, former Worker´s Party (PT) president José Genoino, former PT treasurer Delúbio Soares and operator of the scheme, businessman Marcos Valério de Souza.

In 2012, the Supreme Court convicted 25 defendants for participating in the mensalão scandal, a scheme involving the buying of support in Congress created to ensure sustained support for (former President) Lula. In September of this year, judges finished hearing the appeals of the defendants used to clarify aspects of the sentence. Three defendants had their sentences reduced.

This Wednesday, in a messy session punctuated by heated debates, the justice ministers determined the sentence of the trial that ended last year.

The exact number of defendants who will begin serving sentences so that the Federal Court of Brasilia can issue arrest warrants is not defined. There will be at least 15, since questions remain over six defendants.

Ten defendants will have the possibility analyzed next year of having their sentences reviewed for the crime they were convicted, with four votes in its favor on the floor - they had presented calls for motions of reconsideration.

Dirceu is among them, in his conviction for conspiracy, which gave him 2 years and 11 months in jail. So now the former old strongman of the Lula government will begin serving his sentence of 7 years and 11 months for corruption in a "semi-open" system (he will sleep at the prison).

After rejecting the majority of the motions for appeal, the court's president, Joaquim Barbosa, urged the immediate arrest of 21 of the 25 convicts of the case. Deputy João Paulo Cunha (PT-SP) will have his case examined after.

Translated by STEVE HUGHES

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	Pedro Ladeira/Folhapress
	The court's president, Joaquim Barbosa, urged the immediate arrest of 21 of the 25 convicts of the mensalão scandal