The audios delivered by an informant to the Federal Public Ministry cast suspicion on the former mayor of Canoas, in Grande Porto Alegre, Luiz Carlos Busato – current federal deputy and president of União Brasil in Rio Grande do Sul – in a corruption scheme. In the recordings Busato asks for the “religious” monthly payment of part of the university fees and complains about the proposal to pay other sums in 30 installments. “Thirty months is impossible. I don’t think you can afford to pay R$3.9 million, I also agree with you, now let’s be more consistent.”
In a note, the deputy specifies that the recording has “unknown origin and false content” concerning a case in which he is not named or even a defendant. “We have hired lawyers and are studying all the appropriate measures to address this issue in court which arises, curiously, in the last week of the elections,” he says.
Busato’s son, Rodrigo, is running for deputy mayor of Canoas. Airton Souza (PL) is the mayoral candidate.
The audios were delivered to the Prosecutor’s Office by Dr. Cassio Souto Santos, former director of the Support Group for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, a body that maintained a contract with the city of Canoas during Busato’s government. He was arrested in 2018, the main target of an operation by the Public Prosecutor of Rio Grande do Sul against the embezzlement of a 1 billion real contract in the Canoas health sector.
Cassio signed a plea agreement with the federal public prosecutor, approved by the Superior Court of Justice, the court competent to prosecute suspects with privileged jurisdiction. It is as part of this collaboration that the audios quoting Busato were presented to the Court. The recordings were made by Cassio himself during the meetings he had with the then mayor.
In the audio Busato asks Cassio to “fulfill what is most sacred” between them: “our commitment”. The two are dealing with the alleged payment of bribes owed to the doctor. Cassius specifies that he could only pay the amounts after receiving amounts corresponding to “other debts”.
Busato’s then chief of staff, Germano Dalla Valentina, is also mentioned in the audio.
“When we got to the debt situation, there, directly with Germano, what did we talk about there. Germano, he was about to leave, practically, I know it depends on the bank. I need it, so I can finish settling with you, we had done the calculations, R$3,900,000 was missing or something like that, I need to receive the debts to solve this problem,” Cassio says in a recording.
Busato tries to show empathy with the doctor. “So what do I see, Cassius? I know you talk about paying me the debt, it’s not what I agreed with Germanus, it’s not what I ordered to be agreed with you. I authorized it to increase so that you can take a breather, Let’s stop the problem too because what affects you, affects us. We are partners, we are here, we are two brothers, the boys put a nail in your shoulder, it hurts me, it hurts me too.
In the same dialogue Busato demands the “religious” payment of what the investigators suspect is a monthly instalment. “Plus or minus 800 is the month number. This is religious to decide from now on. The month number is correct, I don’t even put it here. This will be religious. It’s okay,” he says.
They then move on to paying the other amounts due. “I understand, you see Cassio, that you are not able to take R$ 3.9 million. Oh, it’s here and we’re leaving. Because I don’t even know if, since we spent several months 16 and a little, 16 and a little, 16 and a little suddenly R$3 million arrived and maybe I could even afford it.”
“What does Germano Xaxá (secretary Alexandre Bittencourt) bring to me and me: ‘no, the boy is committed’. So from now on he will pay the monthly installment, he will not allow the monthly installment to be delayed, otherwise, this thing is snowballing, there’s no way to look for it anymore. And propose to pay 120 in 30 installments. I said no, 30 months, there’s no way, now we’re more coherent”, says the former mayor. other part of the conversation.
“Let’s expand. Germano has proposed four times, maybe four times is really a bit heavy, but we will arrive at a feasible figure. I know it will have to be a bit of sacrifice, yes, but damn, we had too much good will and we are went from 16 to 21. This is what I want to try to agree with you in a good way. It can’t be done in four months, but it can’t be done in 30 either. Let’s agree 6 months, 8, 10 months…” , he insisted.
Negotiations on installments continued. Busato appears uncomfortable. “Instead of 30, what can you do? You’re going to tell me, no, I can do 20. Regardless of paying off your 30-something debt, what can you do. What can you put in beyond the month?” .
Cassius’ response was not promising. “The mayor is many things, I can’t do it. I need to collect the debt also because I have a partner in the operation, it’s risky, it’s not possible.”
In the audios to which the Estadao given access, Busato states that he “can’t stay here for every fart from the Federal Police”, in reference to alleged interruptions in the payment schedule, and deals with the operation of the transfers, also mentioning the transport of the alleged bribes on a plane.
“But now we have to have security. Yes, honestly I’m scared, I’m scared, it’s not just that. It’s very complicated. Imagine that you put 800 reais on a plane and they take me on the plane,” he said.
Busato says the “way” is through “third parties” or “purchases,” “something like that.”
WITH THE WORD, LUIZ CARLO BUSATO
It is a recording of unknown origin and false content concerning a trial in which I am not named and I am not accused. We have already hired lawyers and we are studying all the appropriate measures to address in court the issue that arises, curiously, in the last week of the elections.
WITH THE WORD, CÁSSIO SOUTO SANTOS
Until the publication of this text, the reporting sought contact with the complainant’s defense, but without success. The space is open for demonstrations.
Source: Terra
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