Corruption Trial of Ex-President Opens in Brazil
Former Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello went on trial for corruption Wednesday amid predictions that he will be found not guilty for lack of proof.
The Supreme Court trial began with Justice Ilmar Galvao summarizing the cases for and against Collor, who resigned two years ago during a scandal that shook Latin America’s largest country.
Collor, 45, faces one count of passive corruption stemming from an alleged multimillion-dollar influence-peddling scheme. He could be sentenced to eight years in prison if found guilty.
Passive corruption is defined as soliciting or getting “undue advantage” for oneself or others because of one’s public office.
Newspapers said prosecutors probably lack enough proof to convict Collor despite two years of investigation and more than 60,000 pages of evidence.
Eight other people are accused in the case.
The fall of Collor, who took office in 1990 vowing to clean up his country’s politics, was seen as a strong boost for democracy and honest government in Brazil, which emerged from a 21-year military dictatorship in 1985.
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