Governor of Rondônia blackmailed by Deputies

On May 16th 2005, Fantastico, the most watched Sunday night program of Brazilian television, showed an explosive video tape.
The video was recorded by Governor of Rondonia, Ivo Cassol, at his home and work office; mr. Cassol himself handed the tape to TV Globo.
The tape shows three State Deputies trying to get the Governor to pay them a monthly amount of cash (the sum of R$ 50,000 is mentioned). The Governor is being charged for supposed liability crimes, which would have been commited while he was Mayor of a municipality in Rondônia; it is up to the Deputies to decide whether the Governor will be impeached; the Comission would be presided over by the three Deputies which attempt to blackmail the Governor.

On the afternoon of the same Sunday, the Deputies filed a suit before the Tribunal of Justice of Rondônia, to prevent TV Globo from exhibiting the tape in the State. A Judge granted an injunction, preventing the exhibition; the injunction was criticized by authorities (including the Minister of Justice) and the Brazilian Bar Association, as it was an act of censorship, forbidden by Brazilian Constitution.

On Monday and Thursday, the population of Porto Velho put the Parliament and the Tribunal of Rondônia under peaceful siege. People protested against the censorship, and asked for the impeachment of the Deputies caught on the tape.
Wednesday, the Deputies retreated their suit, and the censorship injunction was lifted.

The O Globo published this article about the events on Rondonia.


Back to Top