Eduardo Cunha
Eduardo Cosentino da Cunha (born 29 September 1958), is a Brazilian politician and radio host, born in Rio de Janeiro. He was President of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil from February 2015 until 5 May 2016, when he was removed from the position by the Supreme Court. BBC News labeled him the "nemesis" of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.
Eduardo Cunha | |
|---|---|
| President of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 1 February 2015 – 7 July 2016 Suspended: 5 May 2016 – 7 July 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Henrique Eduardo Alves |
| Succeeded by | Rodrigo Maia |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 1 February 2003 – 12 September 2016 Suspended: 5 May 2016 – 12 September 2016 | |
| Constituency | Rio de Janeiro |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro | |
| In office 9 January 2001 – 1 February 2003 | |
| Constituency | At-large |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Eduardo Cosentino da Cunha 29 September 1958 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Political party | Independent (2023–present) |
| Other political affiliations | |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Candido Mendes University |
| Criminal information | |
| Known for |
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| Criminal status | House arrest (temporarily) |
| Conviction(s) |
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| Criminal penalty |
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He was indicted in the scandal known as Operation Car Wash (Portuguese: Operação Lava Jato) involving the state-owned oil company Petrobras and other corporations. Cunha was suspended as speaker of the Chamber of Deputies by the Supreme Court on the request of the Prosecutor-General due to allegations that he had attempted to intimidate members of Congress and obstructed investigations into his alleged bribe-taking. Cunha resigned from his position later, on 7 July 2016, after a disciplinary process in Congress that had lasted nine months, making it the longest in Brazilian Congressional history.
A series of legal manoeuvres had stalled the process and kept Cunha in charge of the Chamber of Deputies. While the Chamber's Commission of Ethics was divided on the issue until June, the Chamber of Deputies plenary, on 12 September 2016, voted 450–10 in favour of stripping Cunha of his position as federal deputy for breaching parliamentary decorum by lying about secret offshore bank accounts.
On 19 October 2016, Cunha was arrested by the Brazilian Federal Police, accused of hiding approximately US$40 million worth of bribes in secret bank accounts and on trying to tamper with investigations against him.