Collor impeachment seen as inevitable

BRASILIA (Reuter, AP) - Benito Gama, head of a congressional commission investigating corruption in the Brazilian government, said that a formal request for the impeachment of President Fernando Collor de Mello was 'inevitable'. The commission's final report is to be published on Saturday and a vote taken next week. Opposition groups are already working on drafts of the impeachment request.

Newspapers and magazines have leaked information from the inquiry suggesting that Mr Collor and his family received millions of dollars from illegal bid-rigging and kick-backs through his former election campaign treasurer, Paulo Cesar Farias.

Mr Gama said the committee had collected ample proof that Mr Farias had committed at least seven different crimes, including selling favours, extortion, tax evasion, illicit enrichment and forming a criminal association.