Brazilian Federal Deputy Júlio Delgado (PSB-Minas Gerais state), reporter of the process to deprive deputy José Dirceu (PT-São Paulo) of his mandate, considers “unsatisfactory” one of the main arguments presented by the former Presidential Chief of Staff in the defense he delivered Monday, August 22, to the Ethics Council of the Chamber.
In his defense, Dirceu contends that the charges against him refer to alleged acts committed while he was on leave from his legislative mandate, exercising the function of minister.
“The legislator was acting as minister, but he was a deputy. Despite being on leave, he was in the exercise of his parliamentary functions, accredited and instated, so much so that he opted for his salary in the Chamber,” Delgado believes.
“I mean to submit a work plan tomorrow. We weren’t named to save anybody’s hide, nor to prejudge. We have to base ourselves on the facts.”
Delgado plans to concentrate the initial investigations on employees of the banking institutions supposedly benefited by Dirceu to channel loans to the PT: the BMG and the Rural Bank.
According to Delgado, the entrepreneur Marcus Valério, who cosigned the loans, should not be called at this time. The intention of the reporter is to utilize the material, including transcriptions of testimony, produced by the Parliamentary Investigation Commissions (CPI’s).
ABr