The (Superior Electoral Court) concluded this Thursday (30) the trial that impeached the governor of Roraima, Edilson Damião (), and made former governor Antonio Denarium (Republicans) ineligible for abuse of political and economic power in 2022.
The trial ended this Thursday, but voting had already concluded on Tuesday (28). of Damião and the holding of new elections in the state. They are: Estela Aranha, Floriano de Azevedo, Antonio Carlos, and Isabel Galloti. Only Kassio Nunes Marques was opposed.
All ministers voted to make Denarium ineligible for eight years. The former governor resigned from his position last month to run for the Senate in the October elections. With his departure, Damião, who was deputy, took over.
The session was resumed only to present a complement to Mendonça’s vote. He agreed with the revocation and ineligibility, but voted for the election for the buffer mandate to be indirect —carried out by the Legislative Assembly of Roraima—, given the short term of the mandate and to address technical issues at the polls. The understanding is contrary to that of the other ministers.
The TSE ordered the immediate execution of the sentence. The decision was read at the end of the trial by the president of the court, minister Cármen Lúcia.
Damião’s defense informed that “it will present the appropriate resources”. In a note to UOL, he said that “the governor continues to exercise his role regularly, ensuring administrative continuity and the normal functioning of public services”, until the formal steps for the validity of the court decision are fulfilled.
The original action was filed by the coalition led by the MDB. Defeated in the 2022 elections, the Roraima Very Better coalition accused the party formed by Denarium, at the time in the PP, and Damião, who was in the Republicans, of obtaining advantages in the dispute through electoral use of the Cesta da Família and Morar Melhor social programs.
Denarium’s defense denies irregularities in the social programs and says that they were not electoral in nature. It also states that the transfer of money from the state government to city halls was done legally.
The Regional Electoral Court of Roraima had also condemned the elected candidate. The decision determined the revocation of Denarium and Damião’s mandates for abuse of political and economic power, in addition to eight years of ineligibility for the then governor and the calling of new state elections.
In May 2024, the governor and vice-president appealed to the TSE. The trial in the electoral court began last August, when the then rapporteur, minister Isabel Gallotti, reiterated the TRE-RR decision.
Rapporteur Estela Aranha pointed out the “creation of a new assistance program in an election year”. She highlighted as an aggravating factor the difference of just 40 thousand votes that defined the election in the state.
“The practice of the illicit conduct investigated in the present demand previously referred to is amply demonstrated in the case, which constitutes both an abuse of economic power, considering the significant amounts spent irregularly, and of political power, considering the misuse of the purpose of the use of public resources in order to obtain electoral benefits”, said Estela Aranha.
The rapporteur also stated that it is not possible to convict the incumbent without punishing his deputy. The possibility had been considered in her vote and led the minister to ask for a view. She highlighted that “Damião was not named in the records as a direct practitioner of illicit acts”, but that the ticket benefited.
