Brazil: Courts Strike Down Land Donations in Wake of Political Scandal

On January 18, 2013, TNH1 reported that a local judge annulled the donations of 200 parcels of land made by the city of Chã Preta, in the state of Alagoas, to residents of the city.  Prosecutors in the nearby city of Viçosa discovered irregularities in the donations, as many parcels went to supposed voters in exchange for a vote for then-mayor Rita Coimbra Teixeira Tenório.  In addition, Judge Lorena Carla Vasconcelos Sotto-Mayor also assessed a R$10,000 fine on each donation.  The land donations fell under a state law that allowed Alagoas to give land to the city to construct housing projects, that of which the local government is accused of distributing to potential voters.  Read Article