Massive Corruption
Brazil court fires Rio governor over corruption
Brazil’s High Court of Justice removed Rio de Janeiro Governor Wilson Witzel from office Friday, as police raided his official residence in a probe into accusations he stole emergency funds to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The raids also targeted the far-right governor’s wife and inner circle. Among those arrested was Pastor Everaldo, an evangelical preacher and leader of Witzel’s Christian Social Party. Helicopters circled over the stately governor’s residence, Laranjeiras Palace, starting at dawn as federal police executed a sweeping series of search and seizure orders and arrest warrants. The court ruling suspends Witzel, 52, from office for at least 180 days as authorities investigate claims he took a reported 274.2 million reals ($50 million) in kickbacks. “This criminal organizatio...
CUPP condemns call for arrest of its spokesman
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has strongly condemned the call made by a group called the Emerging Leaders Forum (ELF) for the arrest and prosecution of its spokesperson, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, for allegedly making inciting statements with plans to topple the Mohammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government. CUPP, while denouncing the call and describing it as one made by hungry and faceless hoodlums, said it had become aware of the clandestine campaign of calumny being perfected to take out of circulation its spokesman, Ugochinyere “as was seen by the amateurish and poorly attended press conference by a faceless group that called itself Emerging Leaders Forum.” The Emerging Leaders Forum (ELF) led by Godstime Samuel had addressed a press conference on Fri...
