Prosecutor questions Genoino's retirement request.
"How can he apply for retirement if he's been convicted? It's very strange," said the acting Attorney General of the Republic, Helenita Acioli; the congressman was sentenced to six years and 11 months in prison by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) in the trial of Criminal Action 470 and claims disability to receive benefits.
247 - The acting Attorney General of the Republic, Helenita Acioli, questioned the retirement request from the Chamber of Deputies made by José Genoino, who was sentenced to six years and 11 months in prison by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) in the trial of Criminal Action 470. "How can he request retirement if he has been convicted? It's very strange," she said.
The federal deputy from the PT-SP party filed a request for disability retirement in early September.
According to Director-General Sérgio Sampaio, however, the congressman still needs to undergo a medical examination by the Chamber of Deputies for the request to be accepted. The doctors need to assess whether the congressman has any illness that is on the list of conditions that qualify for retirement.
In August, Genoino, 67, experienced severe chest pains during the parliamentary recess while in Ubatuba, on the coast of São Paulo state. He was treated at a local hospital but was transferred the following day to the Sírio-Libanês Hospital in São Paulo for a series of more specific tests.
At the hospital, he underwent surgery to correct an aortic dissection. On the 5th, he suffered a mild cerebral ischemia, which was reversed and left no lasting effects. Genoino is serving his seventh term as a federal deputy. An alternate in the 2010 election, he assumed the deputy mandate in January, replacing Carlinhos Almeida, who was elected mayor of São José dos Campos (SP).
Due to the conviction in the Supreme Federal Court (STF), Genoino should automatically lose his mandate as soon as the trial is concluded.