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| Brazil's top court overturns ban on senate head Renan Calheiros Brazil's top court overturns ban on senate head Renan Calheiros | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Brazil’s top court has reinstated the head of the country’s senate after overturning a bid to suspend him from leadership duties while he faces trial. | Brazil’s top court has reinstated the head of the country’s senate after overturning a bid to suspend him from leadership duties while he faces trial. |
| The supreme federal tribunal voted 6-3 on Wednesday to reinstate Renan Calheiros a day after he refused to abide by the suspension order issued late on Monday by Justice Marco Aurelio Mello. | The supreme federal tribunal voted 6-3 on Wednesday to reinstate Renan Calheiros a day after he refused to abide by the suspension order issued late on Monday by Justice Marco Aurelio Mello. |
| However, the court decision prevented Calheiros – a key ally of president Michel Temer – from being second in line for the presidency while he stands trial on corruption charges in one of 12 suits against him. | However, the court decision prevented Calheiros – a key ally of president Michel Temer – from being second in line for the presidency while he stands trial on corruption charges in one of 12 suits against him. |
| Despite the favorable decision for Calheiros, he will likely face a tough time with Brazil’s top court in the near future. | Despite the favorable decision for Calheiros, he will likely face a tough time with Brazil’s top court in the near future. |
| Calheiros, whose term as president of Brazil’s upper house ends in February, and the board of the Senate rattled the judiciary by publishing a letter on Tuesday refusing to recognize Mello’s order. | Calheiros, whose term as president of Brazil’s upper house ends in February, and the board of the Senate rattled the judiciary by publishing a letter on Tuesday refusing to recognize Mello’s order. |
| Chief justice Carmen Lucia said Calheiros turned his back to the whole judiciary by refusing to obey the suspension ruling. | Chief justice Carmen Lucia said Calheiros turned his back to the whole judiciary by refusing to obey the suspension ruling. |
| All members of the court referred to the lawmakers’ defiance in their votes. | All members of the court referred to the lawmakers’ defiance in their votes. |
| “Brazil is living an institutional anomaly at this moment,” Justice Luiz Fux said, though he voted in favor of Calheiros. | “Brazil is living an institutional anomaly at this moment,” Justice Luiz Fux said, though he voted in favor of Calheiros. |
| Mello called the senators’ defiance “unconceivable” and “grotesque”. | Mello called the senators’ defiance “unconceivable” and “grotesque”. |
| “These are strange times in this suffering Republic,” he said. | “These are strange times in this suffering Republic,” he said. |
| Jorge Viana, a Worker’s party senator, would take over if Calheiros was permanently removed as president. Viana is an adversary of Temer and an ally of former president Dilma Rousseff, who was impeached earlier this year and replaced by Temer, her vice president. | Jorge Viana, a Worker’s party senator, would take over if Calheiros was permanently removed as president. Viana is an adversary of Temer and an ally of former president Dilma Rousseff, who was impeached earlier this year and replaced by Temer, her vice president. |
| Losing Calheiros as senate president would be a severe blow to Temer, who is hoping to push through congress a series of belt-tightening measures this month. | Losing Calheiros as senate president would be a severe blow to Temer, who is hoping to push through congress a series of belt-tightening measures this month. |
| Before the court voted on Wednesday, several Brazilian media outlets reported that Temer, Viana and others had approached justices to negotiate a middle-of-the-road solution to avert a constitutional crisis. | Before the court voted on Wednesday, several Brazilian media outlets reported that Temer, Viana and others had approached justices to negotiate a middle-of-the-road solution to avert a constitutional crisis. |
| The case in which Calheiros is to stand trial dates from 2007, when he was also the head of the senate. At the time he was forced to resign after accusations he received kickbacks from the lobbyist of the Mendes Junior construction company. Calheiros has denied any wrongdoing. | The case in which Calheiros is to stand trial dates from 2007, when he was also the head of the senate. At the time he was forced to resign after accusations he received kickbacks from the lobbyist of the Mendes Junior construction company. Calheiros has denied any wrongdoing. |
| The supreme federal tribunal also has several open investigations against Calheiros in the sprawling corruption probe at state-run oil giant Petrobras. A former senator who is a business executive has charged that Calheiros received almost $10m in bribes over 10 years. A former Petrobras director accused Calheiros of threatening to withhold support unless he was paid off. The same person said Calheiros was paid $1.7m through a Petrobras lobbyist in a case related to drill ship contracts. Calheiros denies wrongdoing in those cases, too. | The supreme federal tribunal also has several open investigations against Calheiros in the sprawling corruption probe at state-run oil giant Petrobras. A former senator who is a business executive has charged that Calheiros received almost $10m in bribes over 10 years. A former Petrobras director accused Calheiros of threatening to withhold support unless he was paid off. The same person said Calheiros was paid $1.7m through a Petrobras lobbyist in a case related to drill ship contracts. Calheiros denies wrongdoing in those cases, too. |