Court gives politicians a win

BRAZIL: Brazil’s Supreme Court yesterday decided to grant Congress the final word on decisions to remove a sitting politician, conceding a victory to lawmakers fighting to shield themselves from prosecution for corruption.

The narrow 6-5 decision will allow the Senate to vote next week to revoke a top court ruling that suspended Senator Aecio Neves, who is being investigated in seven corruption cases.

A majority of the justices decided to back off from confrontation with Congress in the midst of Brazil’s biggest political corruption scandal, which has even implicated President Michel Temer and his inner circle of cabinet ministers. The lower house of Congress is expected to vote later this month to shelve charges against Temer in a corruption case involving meatpacker JBS SA, saving him from trial by the Supreme Court.

More than 110 politicians are targeted by the sprawling Car Wash graft investigation, which has uncovered a massive network of bribes and kickbacks.