The defense of councilor Gabriel Monteiro (PL), accused of sexual harassment, requested the rejection and consequent shelving of the process that requests the cancellation of mandate of the parliamentarian in the final report of the Ethics Council of the Municipality of Rio.
Gabriel Monteiro’s lawyers stated that, after carrying out a compilation of the facts during the investigation of the case and during the hearings of the witnesses, his innocence regarding the breach of decorum was clear.
“There can be no other conclusion in the present case than the filing of the case, since the parliamentarian never carried out any action that could, even in theory, [ter] ethics and parliamentary decorum are injured, always acting in defense of the poorest, which causes the revolt of the powerful who daily enrich themselves at the expense of a population that works from sunrise to sunset in an attempt to guarantee a better quality of life for themselves and their families. family”, argued, in a press release, defense lawyers Pedro Henrique dos Santos and Sandro Figueredo.
According to the lawyers, the allegations regarding the recording of a sexual act with a minor were duly clarified by the testimony of the young woman and her guardian, who stated that the minor suppressed her real age, informing the parliamentarian that she was, at the time, 18 years old.
Regarding the actions recorded on video in the Lapa region, when a homeless man is convinced to participate in the simulation of the robbery of a woman and is later attacked by Gabriel Monteiro’s team, the defense maintained that one of the security guards acted in self-defense. .
As for the video in which the councilor appears with a child in a shopping mall, training her to speak in a represented manner, the lawyers claimed that the girl’s guardian clarified that the child had never been exposed to any embarrassment or vexatious situation.
Procedure
The rapporteur’s opinion will be submitted to the Ethics Council for deliberation and considered approved if it obtains an absolute majority of votes from its members.
Once the process in the council has been completed, with a favorable opinion to the representation, the process will be forwarded to the Board of Directors and included in the Agenda. The punishment is decided in an open vote in the Plenary, with the right to speak by parliamentarians and the defense during the session, decided by two thirds of the councilors (34 votes) in case of cassation, or an absolute majority, in case of suspension.
However, even if his mandate is revoked, Gabriel Monteiro may end up without punishment, including in the criminal area, as he will have to run for federal deputy and, if elected, the accusations against him will collide with the prerogative of forum, which could delay for years the process.
