Senator Aécio Neves's future to keep Senate busy this week

The efforts to reverse the Supreme Court's decision to oust Senator Aécio Neves from office and forbid him from leaving his home at night should take over the agenda at the Brazilian Senate this week.

Neves, of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), came second in the presidential elections of 2014, with 51 million votes. Dilma Rousseff received 54.4 million. Rousseff was subsequently unseated in an impeachment case highly supported by Neves.

Last week, the Supreme Court partly granted the request submitted by the Prosecutor-General's Office accusing Neves of corruption and obstruction of justice. The court agreed to oust him from his office at the Senate, but denied his arrest, ruling instead that he must not leave his home at night.

The senator appeared in recorded telephone conversations with executive Joesley Batista, owner of meatpacking giant JBS, asking for $630 thousand in bribes. Batista, who entered a plea bargain deal with federal prosecutors, confessed to taking part in the illicit transaction.

Aécio Neves is also charged with obstruction for allegedly suggesting the replacement of police authorities in corruption probes with favorable investigators, also in the recordings.

Aécio Neves's peers in the Senate—including members of opposition parties, like the PT (the Workers' Party), Rousseff's party—advocate the suspension of the ruling, claiming it violates the Constitution.

With 48 votes against eight, senators approved an urgent motion for the full house to deliberate on the Supreme Court's decision. A plenary session is slated for Tuesday (Oct. 2), but the date may change depending on a consensual solution between the two government branches.

Faced with the allegations from a number of parties that the ruling goes against the Constitution regarding deprivation of liberty, the Supreme Court scheduled a session on the issue on October 11.

The justices are to decide on the need for an authorization for measures alternative to the imprisonment of Congress members.

JBS

Also this week, members of the joint inquiry committee on JBS, which investigates the contracts between the company and the National Social and Economic Development Bank (BNDES) and the plea bargain deal between the executives with prosecutors, will hold two hearings with the businessmen.

President Michel Temer is charged with corruption, racketeering, and obstruction of justice, also due to the content of the plea bargain statements.

The lower house rejected the motion that would see the Supreme Court consider the first charges targeting Temer. In October, lawmakers will also vote on the advancement of a second round of charges against the president.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira