Testimonies that exonerated the university rector were ignored, says UFSC professor.

Professor Eduardo Mello e Souza, from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, in a Facebook post, says that testimonies that would exonerate former rector Luiz Carlos Cancellier have been ignored since the police and public prosecutor's investigation; "He goes to jail, loses his position and, when released, is prohibited from entering his own university. A refinement of cruelty: he is authorized for two hours for academic guidance in doctoral studies. One more minute and he would go back to prison. When these ingredients meet a good person, for whom honor and biography are priceless, death becomes an option. It is the victim who prefers to jump out the window rather than endure the fire that surrounds him."

October 03, 2017, 18:11 PMUpdated June 27, 2018, 10:51 pm

Professor Eduardo Mello e Souza, from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, in a Facebook post, says that testimonies that would exonerate former rector Luiz Carlos Cancellier have been ignored since the police and public prosecutor's investigation; "He goes to jail, loses his position and, when released, is prohibited from entering his own university. A refinement of cruelty: he is authorized for two hours for academic guidance in doctoral studies. One more minute and he would go back to prison. When these ingredients meet a good person, for whom honor and biography are priceless, death becomes an option. It is the victim who prefers to jump out the window rather than endure the fire that surrounds him" (Photo: Charles Nisz)

247 - According to Professor Eduardo Mello e Souza, from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, testimonies that exonerated Rector Luiz Carlos Cancellier (pictured) were ignored from the start of the investigation. In a statement on his Facebook page, the UFSC professor says that the same stance taken by the police was adopted by the Public Prosecutor's Office. "Testimonies that exonerated Cancellier were ignored in the investigation. Other testimonies that discredited the inspector/rival/accuser were ignored. Evidence was collected without any opportunity for rebuttal," Souza wrote.

The former rector of UFSC (Federal University of Santa Catarina) was found dead this Monday in a shopping mall in Florianópolis after committing suicide. According to the OAB/SC (Brazilian Bar Association of Santa Catarina), the professor was a victim of judicial and media persecution after being accused of misappropriating funds in distance learning courses at UFSC.

For Souza, another aggravating factor in the case was the judge: "A young judge who, despite her technical knowledge, lacks any vocation for the judiciary." According to Souza, his colleague was "a teacher of simple living who only built bridges in his life."

The UFSC professor attempts to explain the reasons for his colleague's suicide: "He goes to jail, loses his job, and when released, is forbidden from entering his own university. A cruel twist: he's allowed two hours for doctoral academic advising. One more minute and he'd be back in prison. When these ingredients meet a good person, for whom honor and reputation are priceless, death becomes an option. It's the victim who prefers to jump out the window rather than endure the fire surrounding him," Souza concluded in his post.