AP in Rio de Janeiro
Wednesday March 31, 2004
The Guardian
A federal politician in Brazil was ordered to step down after being found guilty of buying votes with Viagra and other medicine.
The regional electoral court in Piaui state found Antonio Jose De Moraes Souza guilty of vote buying and fined him 21,000 reals (£4,000).
The charges stem from the arrest of Dr Araao Cruz Mendes in 2002 at an electoral rally in Beneditinos, 1,250 miles north-east of Rio de Janeiro.
Dr Mendes was distributing free medicine, including the anti-impotency drug Viagra. The court found that he had been doing so at Mr Souza's bidding. Mr Souza's office said he would appeal against the decision.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/brazil/story/0,12462,1182638,00.html