Tabloid presents bizarre dilemma of suitcase-stealing MP
In many ways, today is not a good day for the country’s politicians: a corruption investigation has forced several to relinquish their places in the hemicycle, and one caught on CCTV cameras apparently stealing other people’s luggage from airport carousels is due to return to the ‘seat of democracy’ in spite of being splashed over the front page of the best-read tabloid for having made use of the parliamentary post office to sell some of his ill-gotten goods.
Correio da Manhã claims that Miguel Arruda – formerly a representative of right-wing CHEGA, now an ‘independent’ and suspect for qualified theft – “used the CTT post office in parliament (so that he could claim a discount on stamps and envelopes)” in order to sell clothing allegedly stolen during flights to and from his home territory of the Azores.
Currently in the Azores, on psychiatric sick-leave, the evidence against Arruda has been painted as pretty much slam-dunk. Yet, by dint of his position as a man elected by popular suffrage, CM maintains that he cannot be ‘removed’ from parliament until the case against him has been tried in a court of law, and a guilty verdict delivered and ushered through all the necessary stages.
In other words, CCTV images or not, Miguel Arruda, could remain sitting in parliament all through the judicial investigation that is ongoing against him.
And this is the ‘big problem’: the actual ‘sitting’ part. No party seems enthusiastic about his sitting near them (as if a penchant for stealing luggage from rolling carpets could be infectious).
Thus, as Lusa has reported, a decision “was taken today at the meeting of the conference of parliamentary leaders” which means that Arruda “will sit in the last row of the hemicycle in the CHEGA bench alignment”.
CHEGA members are not happy with this. Parliamentary leader Pedro Pinto has already warned that he would not be responsible for what might happen – and clearly in these unusual times, anything could.
CM for example reports today that Mr Arruda has been photographed in the Azores wearing his trousers ‘back to front’, being visibly dirty and with a small t-shirt that “left his stomach on display”.
The paper does not suggest Miguel Arruda will return to parliament with this kind of sartorial nonchalance, but its report today does suggest that it “knows” he will be returning soon. CM stresses that Arruda “seems indifferent to the judicial process” underway (as he appears indifferent to his sick-leave appearance).
The paper also refers to Mr Arruda’s discourse being ‘disjointed’, venturing that this is because he is being medicated.
Again, it’s not the kind of picture any politician would be keen to project – but for now, we are where we are.
CM adds that it expects Mr Arruda’s parliamentary immunity could be lifted within a few days, but that this will not stop him being entitled to sit on the back benches (or potentially even use the parliamentary post office…)
Lusa has a different take on the situation, explaining that because the maximum jail term for qualified theft is five years, there is a case for Mr Arruda’s mandatory suspension from parliament.
“According to the Statute of Parliamentary members, suspension is mandatory when it involves a willful crime that carries a prison sentence of more than three years”, writes the state news agency.
Perhaps the strangest of parliamentary ‘scandals’ for quite some years will deliver a few more surprises yet.
