Operation PF uncovers corruption in asphalt; the work was supported by parliamentary amendments

One corruption scheme used the plane to transport bribes; Police identified the participation of businessmen, civil servants and councilors who transferred at least R$1 billion into the project, which involved dozens of states

BRASÍLIA – The Federal Police (PF) has uncovered a system of corruption in asphalt works across Brazil, totaling almost R$50 million in money from parliamentary amendments. The details of the investigation were revealed by TV Globo’s Fantástico programme. Pictures, reports, recordings and telephone conversations detail the gang’s functioning. In this operation, the PF managed to seize 23 luxury cars, three yachts, six properties, jewelery and more than R$3 million in cash.

According to investigations, 17 businessmen, civil servants and councilors are accused of participation in the criminal organization which brought in at least 1 billion reais. During the seizure, documents were found showing that the criminal group had accumulated more than R$820 million in contracts in at least 14 states.

As demonstrated by Estadaothe bribe was transported by plane. According to a PF investigation, a member of the gang negotiated amendment appeals in Brasilia. The money transferred to the municipalities was diverted through overly expensive works.

The Fantástico report illustrated the case of Campo Formoso (BA), the city of the leader of União Brasil in the Chamber of Deputies, Elmar Nascimento (BA) and whose mayor is Elmo Nascimento (União), Elmo Nascimento, his brother. The PF said it had not yet identified the MPs involved in the project. The municipality of Campo Formoso said it would investigate whether there had been a deviation in asphalting work in the city’s neighborhoods.

According to the PF, the scheme involved sending parliamentary amendments to states, municipalities and other authorities. The city council then uses the money to open tenders favored by the criminal group. Public officials who received bribes then pass on inside information to benefit the company.

Images obtained by Fantástico show that federal police officers monitored the boarding of two men at Salvador airport – businessman Alex Rezende Parente, partner of Allpha Pavimentações e Serviços de Construção Limitada, and Lucas Maciel Lobão Vieira – who used a jet to go to Brasilia.

In the federal capital, officers seized R$35,000 in cash from Vieira, who said the funds were being used for personal expenses in the city. In the other suitcase, Parente hid R$1.5 million. According to him, the amount would be used to purchase agricultural machinery. He presented no evidence.

Furthermore, police officers found hundreds of documents and a spreadsheet showing that this group had amassed more than R$820 million in contracts in at least 14 states. In an audio revealed by Fantástico, two Parente employees, Geraldo Guedes de Santana Filho and Iuri dos Santos Bezerra, one of them said there would be a “witch hunt” and claimed that there were three shredders “in time real” in operation destroy documents.

Of the identified group, Itallo Moreira de Almeida, a state employee from Tocantins, is on the run. All the others were arrested. One of the subjects involved in the project, according to the PF, is the former government secretary of the Bahian municipality of Campo Formoso and elected councilor in the same city, Francisco Nascimento (União).

As demonstrated by Estadaodeputies can implement the “Pix amendments”, a resource without transparency, which has no defined purpose and ends up in the coffers of states and municipalities before any tender has even been made. There have already been more than R$20 billion worth of amendments in this category sent by deputies. The matter went to the Federal Court (STF), which blocked the appeal for changes due to lack of transparency, and is still under dispute as MPs try to open windows to maintain the lack of transparency.

Contacted by Fantástico, the mayor of Campo Formoso, Elmo Nascimento, said that the municipality “conducts hiring according to best practices” and ordered an internal investigation to investigate “alleged illegal acts”.

The defense of Alex and Fábio Rezende Parente, as well as that of Lucas Maciel Lobão Vieira, claims that they did not have full access to the files and therefore will not comment on the operation. The defense of Geraldo Guedes Santana Filho and Iuri dos Santos Bezerra deny their participation in the plan. The defense of city councilor Francisco Nascimento has chosen not to take a stand at the moment. Itallo Moreira de Almeida’s defense did not respond to requests for positioning.

Source: Terra

Rose

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