Monday, October 02, 2006

Justice Takes A Holiday

SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - A Brazilian law designed to ensure fair elections has kept police from arresting a 23-year-old law student who confessed to hiring hitmen to kill his mother.

Adriano Saddi Lima Oliveira told police he paid 40,000 reais ($18,433) to hitmen who killed his mother Marisa, a real estate tycoon, several months ago, a police investigator told local TV. Oliveira told police his mother was squandering his inheritance going out with her boyfriend. Police wanted to arrest him but were unable to do so because of a law that prohibits anybody from being arrested five days before and two days after an election, unless they are caught in the act of committing a crime. The law aims to curb heavy-handed tactics -- like a local political chief trying to hang onto power by having his opponents arrested on election day and locked up until polls close.
Brazil held elections on Sunday. I wonder where this guy will be on Wednesday. If you catch a plane today, it still isn't too late to knock over a bank or something before the deadline.

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