Advocate of Rangel affirms eligibility and cites favorable opinion from the Electoral Public Prosecutor's Office

The eligibility of Marcelo Rangel (PSD), candidate for federal deputy for Paraná, was defended on Thursday (3) by campaign lawyer Afonso Ricardo, of Buligon Advogados. In a demonstration sent to BnT Online, he stated that the Electoral Public Prosecutor's Office (MPE) presented a favorable opinion to register the candidacy and understood that there is no cause of ineligibility against Rangel.

The demonstration comes after the BnT Online revealed that the application for registration of Marcelo Rangel is under review by Justiça Eleitoral because of a report related to an accountability judged irregular by the State Court of Accounts of Paraná (TCE-PR). The registration is processed in the Regional Electoral Court of Paraná (TRE-PR) and, so far, remains awaiting judgment.

Defence cites favourable opinion

According to Afonso Ricardo, the opinion of the Electoral Public Prosecutor’s Office is favorable to the registration of the registration. “He expresses his support for the registration of Marcelo’s candidacy, since he understands that there is no cause of ineligibility for the candidate and all the requirements for the registration are met,” said the lawyer.

According to the defense, the situation related to TCE-PR appeared during the documentary analysis made by Justiça Eleitoral itself. According to Afonso, the system automatically identified the existence of a reprobation of accounts involving an agreement signed during the management of Marcelo Rangel on Prefeitura de Ponta Grossa.

The material previously published by the BnT showed that the case is related to the case No. 492621/15, which analyzed the accountability of the Covenant No. 07/2014. The TCE-PR found the accounts irregular and imposed an administrative fine on Marcelo Rangel. The penalty was subsequently paid and, according to the Court of Auditors, there are no outstanding pecuniary obligations on the part of the candidate.

Lawyer says there was no wrongdoing

Afonso Ricardo also maintained that there was no intentional act of administrative improbity in the episode. “The candidate has already paid the fine. There is no intentional act of improbity,” he said.

The lawyer further stated that the issue was already discussed within the framework of Justiça Eleitoral during the 2024 municipal elections and considers that there is no impediment to the registration of the candidacy in 2026.

The defence maintains, therefore, that the elements necessary to characterize a cause of ineligibility are not present in the case.

The decision is still up to the TRE-PR

Despite the defense statement and the favorable opinion of the Electoral Prosecutor’s Office cited by the lawyer, the record still needs to be analyzed by Justiça Eleitoral.

According to Afonso Ricardo, the procedure will now continue for the consideration of the rapporteur responsible for the application for registration.

In the consultation held on Thursday afternoon (3), Marcelo Rangel remains identified as a candidate for federal deputy by the PSD with a registration situation “awaiting trial”.

The ECA-PR itself has already clarified that it is not for the Court of Auditors to declare a candidate eligible or ineligible. This evaluation is the sole competence of Justiça Eleitoral. Thus, until a decision of the TRE-PR on the registration is published, there is no definitive conclusion about the electoral process of Marcelo Rangel.