According to the investigation, MPs had used parliamentary quotas to cover “non-existent or irregular expenses” via a front company.
This Friday morning (12/19), the Federal Police carried out searches and seizures at the homes of federal deputies of the Liberal Party (PL): the party’s leader in the House, Sóstenes Cavalcante, and Carlos Jordy, both from Rio de Janeiro.
The arrest warrants were executed as part of Operation Galho Fraco, which is investigating signs of misuse of parliamentary quotas to cover “non-existent or irregular expenditure”, according to a decision by Minister Flávio Dino, of the Federal Supreme Court, who authorized the operation.
According to the investigation, the parliamentarians “allegedly embezzled resources from the parliamentary quota through commissioned employees” through commissioned employees from the offices of Sóstenes and Jordy and an allegedly fronted car rental company.
The investigations also identify five parliamentary advisors Adailton Oliveira Santos, PL advisor, Florenice de Souza Santana, Itamar de Souza Santana, Jordy advisor, Rosileide de Souza Santana Rocha, Andrea de Figueiredo Desidrati.
Together, they would have moved, between 2023 and 2024, at least 27 million reais “without identifying the origin of the resources”.
According to investigations, withdrawals and deposits were made in fractions, in small amounts, to evade inspection, a technique known as smurf. Thus, the transactions were always carried out for an amount of R$9,999.00.
Jordy posted a video on his social media, calling the search and seizure “cowardly.”
“It’s a probationary fishery. I’m not going to let that bother me. They’re doing the same searches and seizures at my parents’ house, two elderly gentlemen. But we’re not going to embarrass ourselves,” he said.
He said the allegation that the car rental company was a fraud because it only has five cars in its fleet is “gross”. Jordy called the operation a “dictatorship of the judiciary” and “persecution,” saying they “will win this battle next year.”
Sóstenes Cavalcante has not yet commented. Contacted, its press service did not respond to the information.
According to the investigation, the car rental company Alfa Car, although no longer operating in his home, “which allows us to conclude that the company was irregularly dissolved”, continued to receive the payments made by the two deputies. These payments were then reimbursed in the form of expenses paid from parliamentary contributions.
“If such evidence which reinforces the hypothesis that HARUE (ALFA CAR) is a shell company was not enough, it must be remembered that the RIF (Financial Intelligence Report) which initiated the investigation showed suspicious transactions between ITAMAR, parliamentary secretary of MP CARLOS JORDY and HARUE (R$56,184.42 credit and R$23,130.00 debit), demonstrating a possible path of money leaving the quotas parliamentary secretaries of federal deputies”, says an extract from Flávio Dino’s decision.
“Suspicious movements”
“It also draws attention to the fact that MP CARLOS JORDY made suspicious movements amounting to R$75,343.67 during 63 operations with his parliamentary secretary ITAMAR, which highlights the intrinsic and direct economic relationship between the parliamentarian and his advisor.”
The investigation also highlights WhatsApp conversations in which those involved talk about “external” payments.
In addition to the search and seizure at the homes of Jordy, Sóstenes and others involved, Dino ordered the banking secrecy of the two deputies, as well as others under investigation, to be lifted.
“Given the high amounts managed by parliamentary advisers, it is possible that there are other links which have not yet been identified,” Dino indicates in his decision.
About The Author
