Judge Orders Former Rio Governor Anthony Garotinho to Comply with Political Rights Suspension

A judge from the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice has ordered former governor Anthony Garotinho to fulfill a sentence that suspends his political rights for eight years. Judge Ricardo Cyfer stated that the case has reached a final judgment after the Supreme Federal Court denied Garotinho's appeal. The decision follows a request from the Rio de Janeiro Public Ministry to execute the sentence, which stems from a conviction for administrative improbity. The judge has ordered the Regional and Superior Electoral Courts to be notified to suspend Garotinho's political rights, which may jeopardize his current candidacy for governor of Rio de Janeiro.

Garotinho was convicted for the embezzlement of 234.4 million reais from the State Health Secretariat between 2005 and 2006. Prosecutors allege that these funds were diverted to NGOs to finance Garotinho's 2006 pre-candidacy for the presidency. Updated calculations from the Public Ministry indicate that the total amount to be reimbursed to the state treasury has risen to approximately 2.55 billion reais, with additional fines and moral damages totaling millions more.

Garotinho and his legal defense vehemently contest the ruling. His lawyers argue that the suspension of rights expired in August 2018 and that he remains in full possession of his political rights. During a live broadcast, Garotinho denied the accusations and asserted that there is no possibility of his candidacy registration being denied. While center and center-left reports focus on the legal mandate and the financial scale of the embezzlement, the center-right report provides more extensive detail regarding the defense's legal arguments and Garotinho's personal denials.