In his speech, Demosthenes again discredits the Federal Police's wiretaps.
In his fourth attempt to convince his colleagues to vote against the impeachment process against him, the senator reiterated that the recordings contain evidence of manipulation and editing.
Agency Brazil - In his fourth speech attempting to convince senators to vote against the request to revoke his mandate, Senator Demóstenes Torres (independent-GO) insisted that the recordings made by the Federal Police that incriminate him contain evidence of manipulation and editing. This has been the main argument of the senator's defense since the beginning of the proceedings against him, despite court decisions that consider the evidence legal.
On Friday the 6th, while defending himself in the Senate plenary, Demóstenes relied on a report from forensic expert Joel Ribeiro Fernandes. "The expert conclusively proves that there was editing," said Demóstenes, emphasizing that phrases were released out of context to incriminate him. "There is strong evidence of editing. This is being said by the expert, perhaps the best expert in forensic media in Brazil," the senator highlighted in his 30-minute speech.
Demosthenes' trial is scheduled for next Wednesday, the 11th, in the House plenary. To remove Demosthenes from office, 41 out of 81 senators' votes are needed. The vote is secret.
Since the beginning of the week, Demóstenes has chosen to make daily speeches with the aim of convincing senators of his innocence. He had remained silent since the allegations were made public, leaving the statements to his lawyer, Antônio Carlos de Almeida Castro.
Today, he claimed that there is no evidence in the entire process that he received undue advantages from his relationship with the businessman from Goiás, Carlos Augusto de Almeida Ramos, known as Carlinhos Cachoeira, who is being investigated as the leader of the criminal organization that allegedly co-opted businessmen and politicians. Demóstenes is accused of using his position to benefit the businessman from Goiás.
"They found no connection between me and illegal business, or illicit enrichment, in the entire process. There are no millions, no thousands, no cents. There's only the salary I receive here as a senator of the Republic," said the senator.
The constitutionality of the request to remove Demóstenes from office was unanimously approved by the CCJ (Committee on Constitution and Justice) in a roll-call and open vote. In the Ethics Committee, the report requesting his removal also received unanimous votes from its members.