The Ethics Council of the City Council of Rio de Janeiro is still trying to notify councilor Gabriel Monteiro (PL) about the opening of the process of removal from office. The group went to the former military policeman’s office at least twice this Tuesday (19), but the parliamentarian was not present.
With the end of the working hours of the Rio de Janeiro Legislature due to the holiday next Thursday (21) and the optional points decreed for this Wednesday (20) and Friday (22), the document delivery process becomes more difficult.
The Chamber attorney, José Luis Minc, was in the councilman’s office this Tuesday. According to him, an advisor who was at the scene called Monteiro to inform him about the attempt to contact him, but the call would have been dropped. The parliamentarian participated in the plenary session remotely, but without making the video image available.
The Ethics Council informed that it will try a new contact on Monday (25). The rapporteur of the case, Chico Alencar (PSOL), said that the difficulty in being able to deliver the notification is not in favor of Gabriel Monteiro.
If the councilor has not received the notification by Monday, when the five-day period for the summons expires, the decision will be published in the Official Gazette, by means of a public notice. From then on, Gabriel Monteiro will have ten days to present a preliminary defense and evidence.
wanted by CNN about the process of removal from office, the councilor’s defense did not respond to the questions raised.
breach of decorum
The request to revoke the mandate of councilor Gabriel Monteiro is based on four points. The president of the Ethics Council, councilor Alexandre Isquierdo (DEM), said that the evidence of editing and directing videos, with exposure of children and people in situations of vulnerability, can configure a breach of parliamentary decorum. In addition, another point being analyzed by the Council is the police investigation that involves sexual and moral abuse against former advisors.
Two other complaints were accepted by the Commission on Monday (18). One refers to a video in which the councilor appears, supposedly, caressing a ten-year-old girl. In addition, the complaint filed by the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro against the councilor for filming a sexual relationship with a teenager is also being considered in the process.
Here’s how the process for analyzing the removal from office works, according to the Rio Chamber:
- Upon receiving the representation, the Ethics Council draws a rapporteur, who cites the represented councilor, within five days;
- The rapporteur opens a period of ten working days for the councilor to present a written defense and evidence;
- Once the defense is presented, the investigation phase of the process begins, for a period of up to 30 days, extendable for another 15 days;
- Once the instruction is completed, the rapporteur gives an opinion within five working days, concluding that the representation is valid or that it is archived;
- If the opinion is based on the merits of the complaint, a period of five days is opened for the presentation of final arguments by the defense of the accused;
- The rapporteur’s opinion is submitted to the Ethics Council for deliberation within five working days, being considered approved if it obtains an absolute majority of the votes of its members;
- Once the process in the Council is concluded, with a favorable opinion on the complaint, the process is forwarded to the Board of Directors and included in the Agenda;
- The punishment is decided in an open vote in the Plenary, with the right to speak by parliamentarians and the defense during the session, decided by two thirds of the councilors (34 votes) in case of cassation or absolute majority in case of suspension.
Source: CNN Brasil
