Silas Malafaia is ordered to compensate Vera Magalhães – 10/09/2023 – Power

Pastor Silas Malafaia was ordered to pay compensation to journalist Vera Magalhães for claiming that she received money from the former governor of São Paulo, João Doria, to attack then-president Jair Bolsonaro (PL). The information comes from Rogério Gentile, columnist for UOL and Sheet.

The defense can still appeal the decision.

For judge Maria Bertoldo, of the 21st Civil Court of the São Paulo Court of Justice, Malafaia “acted with a clear abuse of rights” by publishing the false news. The pastor was ordered to pay R$15,000 for moral damages to the journalist.

Vera Magalhães is the presenter of Roda Viva, a program on TV Cultura, and a columnist for CBN radio.

Last year, the pastor said on social media that Vera received R$500,000 a year to criticize the former president.

“Do you understand? Doria started playing the journalist who attacks the president all the time,” he said.

At the time, the journalist said that the act was an attempt to harm her work and restrict press freedom. She also confirmed that she received a salary lower than the amount paid to her by the Padre Anchieta Foundation, manager of TV Cultura.

The pastor’s defense stated that Malafaia’s statement was not intended to offend the journalist. He also said that the inaccuracy regarding the amount was induced by a third-party video and that the information was corrected when the pastor became aware of the error.

The clash began after Malafaia endorsed attacks against the journalist that began during a debate with presidential candidates held by Band, Sheet, UOL and TV Cultura, in August last year. At the time, Vera Magalhães was offended by Bolsonaro after asking a question about vaccination.

In September of the same year, the Court had ordered Malafaia to remove eight publications against the journalist from her social networks, as shown in the column Mônica Bergamo, from Sheet. The court also ordered that the religious man refrain from disseminating insults and false information against the professional.