The Federal Police (PF) are carrying out a search and seizure warrant at addresses linked to lawyer Éric Douglas Martins Fidelis (featured photo) as part of the new phase of Operation No Surrender, launched this Thursday (18/12). The fraud was revealed by Metropolises.
The action investigates a national system of illegal association reductions on retirement and INSS pensions. Son of the former director of Services of the institute, André Fidelis, already arrested during the previous stage, Éric is designated as one of the financial operators of the system.
Agents are executing search and seizure warrants against the lawyer, authorized by the Federal Court (STF), amid a mega-operation that includes 16 preventive arrests and 52 searches in seven units of the federation.
According to the federal police and the general controller of the union (CGU), the system operated through associations of retirees who began to deduct monthly payments directly from social security benefits without authorization from the insured.
The values then spread through a chain of companies, offices and individuals linked to the project organizers.
INSS party
- The so-called “INSS Freak” became public in December 2023, after a series of reports from the Metropoliseswho denounced the drastic increase in collections from associations with unjustified reductions applied to retirees – reaching 2 billion reais in one year.
- The entities have responded to thousands of lawsuits for fraudulent affiliations.
- These revelations gave rise to the opening of an investigation by the Federal Police (PF) and fueled the investigations of the General Controller of the union (CGU).
- Operation Without Remission, launched in April this year, resulted in the dismissal of the then president of the INSS and the Minister of Social Security, Carlos Lupi. In total, 38 reports from Metropolises were cited by the PF in the representation at the origin of the operation.
The office has become a channel for transferring millionaires
The CPMI report on INSS fraud highlights that the Eric Fidelis Sociedade Individual de Advocacia office, based in Recife, received at least 1.5 million reais from companies linked to Antônio Carlos Camilo Antunes, the so-called “Careca do INSS”, arrested since September and identified as one of the leaders of the scheme.
In addition, according to the CPMI rapporteur, MP Alfredo Gaspar (União-AL), an additional R$1.8 million was transferred directly to Eric’s personal account. In total, the sums awarded to the lawyer would exceed 3 million BRL.
During his testimony at the CPMI, Éric Fidelis refused to clarify the origin of the transfers, supported by a habeas corpus granted by Minister Luiz Fux of the STF. For the rapporteur, the silence confirms the existence of a contractual relationship with Careca of the INSS.
“If he says he can’t answer because of professional secrecy, it’s because he was hired,” Gaspar said during the hearing.
The role of the father at the INSS
Investigations indicate that André Fidelis, Eric’s father, is responsible for authorizing the largest number of technical cooperation agreements (ACTs) in the history of the INSS. There were at least 14 entities authorized to grant automatic reductions in social security benefits, which together would have taken away about 1.6 billion reais from retirees and pensioners.
Part of these resources, according to the public prosecutor and the PF, returned to the heart of the project through simulated contracts, legal costs and split transfers.
One of the associations, Aapen, which allegedly deducted around R$80 million, transferred around R$2.4 million to Eric Fidelis’ office, an amount corresponding to around 3% of the amount collected.
Political targets and progress of the investigation
The new phase of the operation also affects political figures. The PF carried out a search of the home of Senator Weverton Rocha (PDT-MA), who was under investigation for alleged business dealings with the targets of the scheme. There was no action in the National Congress.
Another prisoner at this stage is Romeu Carvalho Antunes, son and partner of Careca from the INSS, who had formal authorization to manage the accounts of the company used in the scheme. Aldroaldo Portal, executive secretary of the Ministry of Social Security, is also the target of the operation. He has been dismissed from his position and will be placed under house arrest.
The Federal Police claim that the embezzled sums fueled a structured system of money laundering, with the acquisition of assets, cross-transfers and concealment of assets. It is estimated that the loss for public coffers and INSS policyholders will reach billions of reais.
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