Suspended Brazilain president offers written defense at impeachment hearing

Brazil’s suspended president Dilma Rousseff said she will not appear in person at a hearing Wednesday of a commission handling impeachment proceedings against her, but will defend herself in writing.

A Senate commission sits on Wednesday to hear Rousseff’s defense arguments before submitting its report to Senators at a full impeachment trial scheduled in August.

“My defense tomorrow will be submitted in writing and read out by my lawyer,” Rousseff wrote on Twitter.

“We are considering whether I will attend a plenary session of the Senate at another time.”

Rousseff was suspended from office in May after lawmakers voted to hold an impeachment trial over allegations that she fiddled government accounts.

The Senate is due to hear the commission’s non-binding verdict and then vote on whether to impeach Rousseff between August 25 and 27.

At that point Rousseff will again have the opportunity to appear in person to defend herself.

Brazil hosts the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro from August 5 to 21.

If two thirds of the Senate vote to impeach Rousseff, she will be immediately removed from office.

Her former vice-president Michel Temer has replaced her as acting head of state. Several of his ministers have already stepped down over separate corruption allegations.

Brazil is suffering a deep recession and numerous politicians are implicated in a corruption probe centering on state oil firm Petrobras.