Court decision rules release of Rousseff's campaign admen

Admen João Santana and Mônica Moura, a married couple that had been in jail since February on charges of corruption, criminal organization, money laundering, had their temporary release ruled Monday (Aug. 1) by a federal judge in Curitiba, southern Brazil.

The adman is to be released under the same conditions as those imposed on his wife. In addition to having to attend every session in the case, he is not allowed to leave the country or have contact with anyone linked to Operation Car Wash. Federal Judge Sérgio Moro also ordered the payment of $840 thousand in bail for João Santana, and $6.79 million for Mônica Moura.

Apart from the conditions described above, both Santana and Moura—political marketing experts who working in suspended President Dilma Rousseff's electoral campaign in 2014—are prohibited from taking part in any electoral campaign in Brazil until further notice.

Santana's temporary release had been granted by Federal Judge Sérgio Moro in the same motion as the one which released Mônica Moura. Santana and Moura were jailed in February, as part of the 23rd phase of Operation Car Wash. Despite the release, both still face charges in the penal case opened under the operation.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira