Justice revokes mandate of mayor and vice of city in AM for abuse of economic power

Bruno Pacheco – from Cenarium

MANAUS – The mayor and vice mayor of Codajas, 239 kilometers from Manaus, Antonio Ferreira dos Santos (PP) and Cleucivan Gonçalves Reis (Avante), respectively, had the mandates revoked on Thursday, 7, the Regional Electoral Court of Amazonas (TRE-AM). The decision of Judge Geildson de Souza Lima, the 7th Electoral Zone of Codajas, condemns managers by the practice of abuse of economic power by electoral corruption and illegal fundraising.

According to the process, the mayor, the vice mayor and three other people, identified as Jozenilson Lopes Pontes, the “Carequinha”; Francimara Penha Freitas and Marcos Rodrigues da Costa, are ineligible for a period of eight years.

According to the complaint, Jozenilson is a political ally of the mayor and worked as a financial operator and official coordinator of campaign events. Together with Francimara, still according to the writ, he raised money through a social organization of fishermen to buy goods intended for electoral corruption and to use them in his own electoral campaign.

Arrest for spoiled food

In 2020, Bridges was arrested on suspicion of storing and distributing spoiled food baskets to voters. At the time, 233 units were seized. The complaint points out that the campaign coordinator, who would have received help from Marcos Rodrigues da Costa in the purchase and storage of the food baskets, also distributed roofing tiles, balls for children, and cash to voters.

In the sentence, Judge Geildson Lima reports that on November 3, 2020, the police received anonymous reports of vote buying and distribution of food baskets at night and requested, from the Judiciary, a warrant for search and seizure to enter an abandoned house in Codajás, owned by Jozenilson Pontes’ family, where the food baskets were.

At the site, the magistrate found the baskets hidden, in unsanitary conditions and with a large amount of cockroaches, rodents, insects, fungus and dirt.

“I clarify that the presence of this magistrate on site was necessary because of the multitude of people who came to the site angry with the seizure of the food baskets and the arrest of one of the political leaders of the city, which was essential to avoid protests, riots and violence, which is very common in the countryside of the Amazon due to political disputes”, states the judge in the document.

Still according to Lima, the food baskets were being used to buy votes, were diverted from the fishermen’s colony and would have been purchased with funds from parliamentary amendments, which was confirmed in the evidentiary instruction. The magistrate also says that the vote buying was proven through several testimonies.

Note

In a note posted on social networks early Thursday afternoon, the mayor of Codajas said he received the news with “tranquility” and that he did not commit any crime during the 2020 election campaign. He also said that he made a clean campaign, with few resources and within the molds of the law.

“In search of a judicial understanding different from that given in the sentence, constitutes a new lawyer specializing in electoral law to address the situation with the Regional Electoral Court of the State of Amazonas and, therefore, we count on the certainty that the respectable decision will be reformed, because, I repeat, I have not practiced, not today and not ever, any act that could disgrace my conduct before the Law, either as a businessman, or as a citizen, or as a candidate for mayor of Codajas”, wrote Antônio.

The vice mayor Cleucivan, sharing the publication of the head of the municipal executive, said he respects the court decision, but is convinced of his innocence and that of the other defendants. “We respect the court decision, but we are convinced of our innocence and I am sure that justice will be done in other instances. Meanwhile, the work continues”, published Cleucivan.