The Brazilian Justice system has finally ordered Congressman Paulo Maluf, one of the country’s most infamous politicians, to serve prison time for his multiple corruption convictions. Maluf, now 86, was found guilty of receiving USD 334 million in bribes during his four-year stint as the Mayor of São Paulo, between 1993 and 1996.
The decision had a tepid coverage by the press. Partly because, as wrote political scientist Carlos Melo, a professor at São Paulo’s Insper Business School, the decision comes “with 20 years of delay.” But also because the money stolen during Maluf’s years now seems like...
