The First to Be Arrested in The PSBD Scheme, Ex-Governor Surrenders to the Police

05/24/2018 - 11h56

On Wednesday, May 23, the former governor of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Eduardo Azeredo (PSDB), 69, turned himself in to the police to begin serving his sentence of 20 years and one month in prison for embezzlement of public funds and money laundering. He is the first accused in the so-called PSDB 'mensalão' scheme.

His arrest occurred 20 years after the events that led to the accusations and 11 years after the denunciation.

Azeredo, whose arrest warrant was ordered by the State Court of Appeals on Tuesday, May 22, was considered a fugitive and police officers searched for him in the capital city, Belo Horizonte.

	Maurício Vieira/Jornal Hoje em Dia/Folhapress
	Former governor of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Eduardo Azeredo (PSDB), 69, turned himself in to the police

After the forensic medical examination, Azeredo was sent to serve his sentence in a fire department facility in the city's mid south zone about one kilometer away from his apartment.

Courts ordered him to serve his sentence in a special room due to his high position.

The PSDB mensalão scheme was considered the origin of the namesake scheme related to another party, the PT. The Department of Public Prosecution says the PSDB mensalão scheme occurred during Azeredo's unsuccessful campaign to run for governor in 1998.

Translated by THOMAS MUELLO

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