Alessandro Stefanotto, a career employee of the organization, took over the presidency of the National Social Security Institute (INSS) in July 2023, in the first year of the Lula 3 government. He was removed from office in April this year, after being the target of an operation carried out by the Federal Police (PF) against the alleged fraud of the transfer of pensions through unauthorized deductions by beneficiaries. The scheme was revealed by Capitals.
Stefanotto was arrested on Thursday (11/13) during the PF operation investigating Farra do INSS, a scheme of illegal deductions on retirement and pensions. He is the target of 10 arrest warrants issued on Thursday, in a new phase of Operation No Adversary, launched by the Patriotic Front in partnership with the Comptroller General of the Union (CGU).
INSS party
- The INSS scandal was exposed by Capitals In a series of reports published from December 2023 onwards. Three months later, the portal showed that the collection of entities offering discounts on monthly fees to retirees had risen significantly, reaching R$2 billion in one year, while the associations responded to thousands of lawsuits for fraud in the membership of insurance policyholders.
- Reports from Capitals It led to the opening of an investigation by the National Front and the investigations were informed by the Comptroller General of the Union (CGU).
- In total, the company included 38 articles on the portal in the representation that led to the “Operation Without Discount”, launched on April 23 and which culminated in the dismissal of the then head of the National Institute of Social Security, Alessandro Stefanotto, and the then Minister of Social Security, Carlos Lopi.
- The former president of the institute is 54 years old, and he assumed the presidency of the body at the age of 52 years, in a career that lasted 24 years. Before coming to the top of power, he served as Federal Prosecutor and Director of Budget, Finance and Logistics.
He also participated in the transition team between the government of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT).
Stefanuto is from São Paulo (SP) and graduated in law from McKinsey University. He also served in the Army and Navy and worked for the Federal Revenue Service.
Appointment to the position
In politics, Stefanotto belongs to the PSB, but became president of the institute through the then Minister of Social Security, Carlos Lupe, of the PDT.
At the time the National Institute of Social Security scandal was exposed, the Minister of Social Security took over this appointment. “It is my responsibility alone. Let us wait for the investigations. There is a decision to dismiss him, and the decision has been implemented. We will guarantee the right of broad defence. (…) We want to protect our retirees and pensioners, and we have this investigation, it has Social Security Intelligence,” commented Lupi, who was dismissed shortly after as minister.
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