Electoral Prosecutor's Office calls for impeachment of mayor and deputy of Macaé in appeal at TRE-RJ

Electoral MP calls for the impeachment of the mayor and vice-mayor of Macaé The Regional Electoral Prosecutor's Office spoke out for the revocation of the diplomas of the mayor of Macaé, in the North of Fluminense, Welberth Rezende, and the vice-mayor, Fabiano Paschoal, in an appeal that is being processed at the Regional Electoral Court of Rio de Janeiro (TRE-RJ). The opinion was presented during the analysis of a Judicial Electoral Investigation Action (AIJE) that investigates alleged abuse of political and economic power and misuse of the media in the 2024 municipal elections. The case has not yet been judged by the TRE-RJ. Welberth and Fabiano are not revoked, and the decision of the Macaé Electoral Court that rejected the action remains valid until the court analyzes the appeal. ? Follow the g1 Norte Fluminense channel on WhatsApp. The opinion was presented in the appeal filed by PDT against the first instance decision, which had considered the action unfounded. According to the Regional Electoral Prosecutor's Office, there is evidence that resources and structure from Macaé City Hall have been used to form a network of digital communication vehicles. According to the Public Electoral Ministry, these channels published content favorable to Welberth Rezende, who was running for re-election, and unfavorable to political opponents. The opinion cites, among other points, the publication of similar content by different vehicles during the electoral period and payments made by the City Hall to people and companies linked to some of these media outlets. One of the cases mentioned involves a former communications advisor to the mayor. According to the Prosecutor's Office, after leaving office, he opened a communications company that started receiving payments from the City Hall. The opinion also points out that he worked on a page that published content favorable to the mayor. Electoral Prosecutor's Office calls for impeachment of mayor and deputy of Macaé Disclosure Opinion does not determine the result Municipal prosecutor Felipe Melo explained that the opinion of the Electoral Public Prosecutor's Office does not determine the result of the trial in the TRE-RJ. "The mayor of Macaé is not impeached. In the first instance, this revocation request was dismissed by the Electoral Court and is now being appealed to the Regional Electoral Court", he stated. According to him, the decision will be up to the TRE-RJ judges. "The losing party filed an appeal with the Regional Electoral Court, and the Regional Prosecutor's Office of the Public Prosecutor's Office understood that there was evidence to do so and decided for a judgment that partially accepted the requests. This opinion from the Public Prosecutor's Office does not bind the decision of the judges of the Regional Electoral Court", he said. What the Prosecutor's Office asks In addition to the revocation of the diplomas, the Prosecutor's Office asked that Welberth Rezende and others being investigated be declared ineligible. In relation to vice-mayor Fabiano Paschoal, the opinion only requests the revocation of the diploma, without a declaration of ineligibility. According to the Public Electoral Ministry, there is insufficient evidence that he participated in the acts investigated. Now, the case goes to trial at the Regional Electoral Court of Rio de Janeiro. The judges may or may not agree with the understanding presented by the Prosecutor's Office. If the TRE-RJ decides to revoke it, there will still be an appeal to the higher levels of the Electoral Court. When contacted, Macaé City Hall reported that Welberth Rezende was re-elected in the first round of the 2024 elections, with 85.6% of valid votes, and stated that the mayor maintains confidence in the fairness of the electoral process and institutions. The administration also said that management continues to focus on the city's development. MORE