Collor contradicts his own defense and says he has no disease

Former President Fernando Collor stated on Friday (25) that he has no disease and has no continuous use of medicines, contradicting his defense, which alleged the existence of health conditions that would require regular treatment.

The statement was made during a custody hearing conducted by an auxiliary judge of Minister Alexandre de Moraes, rapporteur of the case in the Supreme Court (STF).

Collor’s defense, who is 75, had requested the transfer of the former president to house arrest, citing his advanced age and health problems, including treatment for Parkinson’s disease and bipolar affective disorder.

Read more: Moraes determines that Collor serves sentence in a special cell in Maceió Prison

A medical certificate presented to the petition indicated that Collor makes daily use of medicines and needs periodic medical consultations. Lawyer Marcelo Bessa argued that, besides age, there is no risk of criminal reiteration and that Collor does not pose a threat to public order.

During the hearing, Collor was asked if he had any illness or used medications regularly, he replied, “No.”

The defense also contested the disruption of the trial that should endorse the decision for the arrest of the former president, stating that this confirms that the case was not terminated and, therefore, the arrest could not have been decreed.

Collor was arrested on Friday morning in Maceió (AL), following a decision by Alexandre de Moraes, who denied a defense appeal on Thursday (24) and determined the beginning of the sentence of 8 years and 10 months in prison, due to conviction for corruption.

He participated in the hearing for video conferencing and expressed the desire to remain detained in Alagoas, without transfer to Brasilia.

Collor’s conviction, which took place in May 2023, is related to a corruption scheme at BR Distribuidora, a subsidiary of Petrobras, and was based on evidence collected during Operation Lava Jato.

The former president’s defense argues that the accusations are based only on award-winning allegations and that there is no concrete evidence.