RN judge condemns Rogério Marinho to loss of mandate – 06/01/2023 – Power

A judge of the first instance of Rio Grande do Norte sentenced Senator Rogério Marinho (PL-RN) to the loss of public function for administrative impropriety, implying the loss of his mandate. The decision, however, does not take effect immediately. Marinho’s advisory said he will appeal.

Judge Bruno Montenegro Ribeiro Dantas considered that Marinho, as councilor of the City Council of Natal, was responsible for “unfairly” including the appointment of a “ghost” employee in the staff of the house, causing damage to public coffers.

The punishments against the senator were the loss of public office, suspension of political rights for eight years and payment of a fine, in addition to a ban on contracting with public authorities and receiving tax benefits or incentives.

The decision states that the then councilor appointed a doctor as a civil servant, but she “was not even aware of her link with the Legislative House” and that “she never regularly exercised the duties of the positions for which she was appointed”.

In a statement, Marinho’s legal advisors said that he “respects, but does not agree with, the Court’s conclusions that it would be an act of impropriety to hire a doctor to serve the needy population free of charge”.

The defense claimed that there was still no “accusation of appropriating money, nor that the service was not provided” and said that the senator “will appeal the decision to fight it in the appropriate forum”.