Former Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello has been sentenced to eight years and ten months in prison for corruption by Brazil’s Supreme Court on Wednesday. This verdict is a consequence of the far-reaching Car Wash investigation, which has uncovered widespread graft in the country.
Collor was found guilty by the high court of accepting 20 million reais ($4 million) in bribes during his tenure as a senator from 2010 to 2014. These bribes were allegedly given in exchange for securing contracts for a construction company with a subsidiary of the state-run oil company Petrobras.
At 73 years old, Collor’s reputation in Brazilian politics was already tarnished. He had previously served as Brazil’s first democratically elected president after the military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985. However, he resigned from the presidency in 1992 to evade impeachment, also due to corruption allegations.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court justices had already found Collor guilty of corruption and money laundering in relation to the Petrobras case, with an eight-to-two ruling against him. The lead judge in the case, Edson Fachin, had recommended a sentence of 33 years, highlighting the gravity of the offenses.
Fachin emphasized the severity of the trial’s facts, stating that they depict the “nefarious misuse of public functions for personal and financial gain.” According to the court’s official website, Fachin stated that Collor used his political influence to facilitate appointments to the board of directors of Petrobras subsidiary Distribuidora and create favorable conditions for contract agreements.
The money laundering activities were conducted through over 40 deposits into Collor’s personal accounts and 65 accounts belonging to his companies.
In response to the accusations, Collor’s defense has denied his involvement in the crimes
