The (Superior Electoral Court) scheduled for next Tuesday (4) the trial that could lead to the impeachment and ineligibility of the governor of , (), and the president of Alerj (Rio’s Legislative Assembly), Rodrigo Bacellar ().
The two are accused of abuse of political and economic power in 2022. The actions that will be analyzed by the TSE deal with a scheme to hire employees from Ceperj (State Center for Statistics, Research and Training of Public Servants of Rio de Janeiro) as electoral canvassers.
A series of reports from UOL revealed that tens of thousands of people were hired without transparency. Evidence of political use of projects run by Fundação Ceperj and Uerj was identified.
An investigation by Rio discovered cash withdrawals from the “teller’s mouth”. In total, R$248 million were withdrawn from bank branches by tens of thousands of people who were part of the alleged scheme.
Castro and Bacellar were acquitted by the Regional Electoral Court of Rio in May 2024. The Public Electoral Ministry, however, appealed to the TSE.
The process is being reported by Minister Isabel Gallotti. The president of the TSE, , and the ministers, , Antonio Carlos Ferreira, Floriano de Azevedo Marques and Estela Aranha will also participate in the trial.
