Rogério Marinho and four other former councilors were convicted of administrative impropriety in the 1st degree.| Photo: Edilson Rodrigues/Agência Senado

Senator Rogério Marinho (PL-RN) was convicted by the 1st degree court of Rio Grande do Norte for allegedly hiring “ghost” employees at the Natal City Council when he was councilor, between 2001 and 2003 and from 2005 to 2007 The decision of judge Bruno Montenegro Ribeiro Dantas was given on Wednesday (31) and published on Thursday (1/6) (see in full).

According to the decision, Marinho and four other former councilors would have hired people who “did not effectively exercise any public activity, thus contributing to third parties or themselves to illicitly enrich themselves at the expense of the treasury”, wrote the judge.

“That is to say: it was clear that parliamentarians indicated ‘ghost servants’ for commissioned positions, which, despite being appointed and remunerated, denied having or having maintained functional links with the City Council of Natal. The factual picture demonstrates the boldness of the convicts in the execution of the illegal acts, revealing the modus operandi and the contempt for the institutions and announcing substantial and systematic damages to the public coffers”, completed Dantas.

Marinho was sentenced to loss of public office, suspension of political rights for eight years and payment of a fine. The decision is subject to appeal. The senator did not comment on the decision.