Brazil Supreme Court Suspends Speaker Behind Rousseff’s Impeachment Drive

Brazil’s highest judiciary body said in a statement Thursday it suspended the mandate of a lower house speaker who led the impeachment process of President Dilma Rousseff.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Cunha, who launched impeachment proceedings against Rousseff on December 2, has been accused of obstructing corruption investigations against him and attempting to intimidate lawmakers.

"Minister Teori Zavascki of the Supreme Federal Court (STF)… ordered the suspension of Eduardo Cunha (PMDB-RJ) from exercising the federal parliamentary mandate and consequently, the function of President of the Chamber of Deputies," the court said.

On April 17, two-thirds of Brazil's Chamber of Deputies lawmakers voted in favor of impeaching Rousseff, sending the vote to the Federal Senate, the upper chamber. The senate is due to vote on holding an impeachment trial on May 11, which if held would trigger Rousseff's suspension for up to 180 days.

Brazil’s leader has been facing rising discontent over the country's struggling economy and a major corruption scandal in the state-owned energy corporation Petrobras. She headed the company between 2003 and 2010, the period during which most of the corruption reportedly took place.

Rousseff's impeachment process has been characterized by her supporters as a political witch-hunt and the Brazilian head of state vowed to fight the campaign against her.