The massive operation targeting the Refit group, owner of the old Manguinhos refinery, on Thursday (27), included among its targets the former Executive Secretary of the Civic House in Jair Bolsonaro’s government, Jonathas Assuncao, and political commentator Cristiano Beraldo, who served as Rio Municipal Secretary for Tourism in the government of Eduardo Paes for a few months in 2021. The action seeks to dismantle a billion-dollar tax fraud scheme involving dozens of companies in the fuel sector.
- Ministers disagree: the STF has the majority to force the government to take measures against racism
- Environmental Licensing: NGOs will take legal action against overturning the veto
The target of the search and seizure in the operation was businessman Ricardo Magro, owner of Revit, and his father, João Manuel Magro. Since the investigations are being conducted in secret, the official list of more than 170 people under investigation has not been published. The procedure did not include arrest warrants, only search warrants. The whereabouts of Magro, who travels between Miami and Portugal, have not been determined.
According to investigations, Cristiano Moreira Pinto Beraldo, a political commentator who previously served in the government of Eduardo Paes, ran offshore companies in the United States affiliated with Magro, such as Cascais Bay LLC, whose management also includes Alessandra Engel Magro, the businessman’s wife, and Oceana KB Real Estate LLC, owned by Refit. Peraldo ran for state representative in 2022 for União Brasil and declared assets worth R$1.85 million.
After the operation, Beraldo posted a video in which he said he was “surprised” and announced that he would abandon his political activist and commentator activities. Jovem Ban informed, in a note, that she would not comment on the case.
Also among those investigated was Jonathas Assuncao, former executive secretary of the Civic House led by Ciro Nogueira in Bolsonaro’s government. He currently serves as an executive at Refit, and is the target of a search and document seizure warrant.
Assuncao has a long history linked to the hard core of Bolsonaro’s government. In addition to being Ciro’s right-hand man, he was chief of staff to Walter Braga Neto, who was arrested in the coup plot investigation, and became one of the witnesses appointed by Jair Bolsonaro in the case. In 2022, despite the questions, he was elected to the Petrobras Board of Directors. In Congress, he earned the title of “director” of the secret budget.
During his time in the Civic House, his wife was appointed to a R$13,000 position in the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
The massive operation executed 126 search and seizure warrants in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Maranhão and the Federal District. In total, there are 190 targets, including individuals and companies linked to the group led by McGro. Refit is the largest ICMS in São Paulo and one of the largest in the federation.
The goal is to dismantle a billion-dollar tax fraud scheme in the fuel sector, which involves the use of shell companies, offshore companies and financial structures created to evade paying taxes. The investigations remain confidential.