The Superior Electoral Court granted, on Friday night (28), an injunction authorizing former governor Anthony Garotinho (Republicanos) to resume his campaign activities in Rio de Janeiro. The measure suspends the unanimous decision of the Regional Electoral Court that had prohibited the candidate from using public resources, from participating in free electoral radio and TV airtime, and from participating in debates.
TSE Justice Floriano de Azevedo Marques justified the decision stating "there is at minimum a relevant legal controversy" regarding Garotinho's situation. According to the decision, the former governor should maintain the same campaign conditions as the other competitors, until the definitive judgment of his candidacy registration is made.
Garotinho's conviction for administrative improbity, which became final last year, is at the center of this legal dispute. The case involved fraud in the "Saúde em Movimento" project during the administration of then-governor Rosinha Garotinho, in the years 2005 and 2006, a period during which the politician held the office of governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro.
