Date: Wednesday, 9 Sep 1992 17:06:02 EST
From: <TPOWER@vma.cc.nd.edu>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.brazil
Subject:    Collor/STF/UPI 09.09.92

UPI 09/09/92
        BRASILIA, Brazil (UPI) -- The Brazilian Supreme Court received two
writs of habeas corpus Tuesday night in favor of President Fernando
Collor de Mello and businessman Paulo Cesar Farias, both involved in the
worst corruption scandal in recent years.
        Lawyer Murilo Monteiro da Costa presented a writ of habeas corpus to
the Brazilian Supreme Court late Tuesday to keep Collor, 43, from
suffering ``whatever illegal difficulty from the (federal) police,'' the
official Brazilian news agency reported.
        Monteiro da Costa asked the court to cease any criminal action
against the president, labeling as ``insufficient'' evidence presented
by a congressional inquiry accusing Collor of aiding an extortion and
embezzlement scheme that allegedly paid the leader some $23 million in
kickbacks.
        In his writ, Monteira da Costa argued the president was being
``illegally accused of criminal practices not being investigated by the
courts.''
        The lawyer in another request asked Brazil's high court to grant a
``safe conduct'' to Collor's former campaign treasury, Farias, who may
be arrested by police in connection with the corruption scandal.
        Farias is accused of being a leaders of the alleged extortion and
embezzlement ring accused of paying off Collor.
        A spokesman for the Brazilian Supreme Court said Judges Neri da
Silveira and Paulo Brossard were named to consider the two pleas.
        Earlier Tuesday, Humberto Souto, head of pro-Collor forces in
congress, had announced the government would appeal timetables and
details for the impeachment process set by Chamber of Deputies President
Ibsen Pinheiro.
        ``The lack of legal foundation and the way it was conceived surprised
the president. Deputy Ibsen Pinheiro created a law,'' presidential
spokesman Etevaldo Dias said.
        The battle over whether the impeachment vote will be held publicly or
behind closed doors is crucial.
        Government sources predict Collor would get up to 206 votes from
deputies if the ballotting were secret -- enough to block his
impeachment. But if the vote is public, the same sources say only about
120 deputies would cast ballots to save Collor because of public
pressure.
        Pinheiro himself said 336 of the 503 deputies would have to vote for
Collor's impeachment for it to pass.
        If approved, Collor would be removed from office for six months while
the Senate debated whether to make the ouster permanent. Vice President
Itamar Franco would assume the presidency.
 Pinheiro sent a message to Collor Tuesday afternoon giving him until 7
p.m. Sept. 15 to submit a written defense to corruption charges
contained in the impeachment plea -- filed Sept. 1.
        The lawmaker said he expected lower house members to vote on the
impeachment bid during the last week of September, possibly Sept. 23, if
the request is approved by a special committee of 49 lawmakers.
        At least 31 of the committee members have said they would support
Collor's ouster, a large number given the fact pro-government parties
were given 25 of the 49 committee seats.
        If the committee decides the impeachment plea is valid, Pinheiro said
the Chamber of Deputies would call a special public session of the house
to vote openly on whether to remove the Brazilian president.
        Analysts say the congressional vote is vital to Collor's survival,
because opposition forces hold a majority in the Senate.
        Meanwhile, Collor lost one of his most important political allies
Tuesday when his cabinet minister, Government Secretary Jorge Borhausen,
presented his ``irrevocable'' resignation.
        Bornhausen, who served as coordinator between the executive branch
and pro-government lawmakers, submitted his resignation during a meeting
Tuesday afternoon with Collor in the government headquarters at the
Planalto Palace, an official spokesman said.
        According to the spokesman, Bornhausen, a leader of the Liberal Front
Party, is slated to officially announce his resignation Thursday when
Collor will name a replacement.
        Collor, the first Brazilian president elected by popular vote in
three decades, has repeatedly denied the accusations and refuses to
resign, promising to fight the impeachment plea in Congress.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.brazil