Brazil Supreme Court orders former president's arrest in corruption case

Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the immediate arrest of former President Fernando Collor de Mello after rejecting a second appeal in a corruption case, the court announced Thursday.

Collor was sentenced to eight years and 10 months in prison for his role in a corruption scheme involving BR Distribuidora, Brazil's state-owned fuel distributor.

Moraes asked Supreme Court President Luis Roberto Barroso to convene an extraordinary virtual session to endorse the decision, with the session scheduled for Friday.

According to court documents, Collor and businessmen Luis Pereira Duarte de Amorim and Pedro Paulo Bergamaschi de Leoni Ramos received 20 million reais ($3.52 million) to improperly facilitate contracts between BR Distribuidora and UTC Engenharia for the construction of fuel distribution centers.

The court found that the payments were made in exchange for political support for appointing and maintaining directors at the state-owned company.

In the same ruling, Justice Moraes rejected appeals from the other defendants, ordering Pedro Paulo Bergamaschi de Leoni Ramos to serve four years and one month in a semi-open regime while imposing restrictive rights sentences on Luis Pereira Duarte de Amorim.

Collor, 75, served as Brazil's president from 1990 to 1992, when he resigned during impeachment proceedings over corruption allegations.