06/15/2024 – 7:28
The Federal Police (PF) indicted this Wednesday, 12th, the Minister of Communications Juscelino Filho. The corporation completed investigations into a possible diversion of federal funds at the Companhia de Desenvolvimento dos Vales do São Francisco e do Parnaíba (Codevasf) and charged the minister with crimes of corruption, money laundering and criminal organization. The investigation began after a report published by Estadão on January 30, 2023.
Lula’s minister, in a statement, denies the accusation and recalls that “an indictment does not imply guilt”. “It is a political and predictable action, which is based on an investigation that distorted premises”, said Juscelino about the PF report.
The indictment comes after Operation Benesse, launched in September 2023. At the time, one of the PF’s targets was Luanna Rezende, Juscelino’s sister and mayor of Vitorino Freire (MA). In January 2023, the Estadão revealed that the minister, when deputy, had allocated resources from the budget to pave a road in the city that passed through his family’s farm.
Another report revealed that a Codevasf manager, even though he was removed from his position due to accusations of receiving bribes, continued to receive a salary from the state-owned company, worth more than R$20,000, in gross values.
The dismissed employee was Julimar Alves da Silva Filho, head of Codevasf’s Regional Development Management in Maranhão. One of Julimar’s duties in the public service was issuing opinions for the execution of works. He was being accused of receiving R$250,000 from Eduardo Costa, a longtime acquaintance of Juscelino Filho, to issue a fraudulent opinion.
The accusation was based on a report signed by Julimar on August 18, 2021. The document authorized the construction company Construservice to carry out a project that directly benefited the Minister of Communications, with the paving of a public road in Vitorino Freire that crossed one of the properties of Juscelino, where Lula’s minister had built a helipad and a private airstrip.
The work was financed with resources from the secret budget, which Juscelino was able to direct as a federal deputy. O Estadão It also showed that at least four companies owned by friends and people close to the minister provided services to Vitorino Freire’s city hall, run by Juscelino’s sister. The works were indicated through the secret budget and the amount of the contracts reaches R$36 million.
Remember other achievements of Juscelino Filho as verified by ‘Estadão’
In addition to possible misappropriation of public funds for Codevasf, the city hall of Vitorino Freire, headed by the minister’s sister, benefited from the federal government with donations of computers, through a program run by Juscelino’s department. The city of São Mateus, commanded by a cousin of the minister, also benefited from the initiative.
Furthermore, Lula’s minister used a Brazilian Air Force (FAB) aircraft to go to and from São Paulo, where he participated in race horse auctions. The Ministry of Defense estimated the cost of this flight at R$130,392.87. The case triggered an internal crisis in the government and Juscelino was threatened with dismissal, but managed to remain in office with the support of Centrão.
O Estadão also revealed that Juscelino Filho omitted from the Electoral Court an asset of at least R$2.2 million in horses of the breed, in addition to presenting false information about helicopter flights to the electoral authorities.
As a federal deputy, Juscelino employed his family’s farm handyman in his office. Driver Waldenôr Alves Catarino spent almost a decade performing various manual tasks on the farm. “I was assigned to the Federal Chamber and worked here for his uncle on the farm”, he stated, in an exclusive interview with Estadão.
The minister also used his position to renew the broadcasting concessions of his political nucleus. 31 TV licenses were granted to the TV Difusora group, which belongs to lawyer Willer Tomaz de Souza, crony of senator Weverton Rocha (PDT-MA), an early ally of Juscelino. Requests were approved quickly, within a period of between five and eight months.
Juscelino also used the structure of the position to personally promote himself, his sister and a cousin. The department’s official photographer monitored and recorded commitments unrelated to the Communications department’s activities, including at events outside Brasília. In addition to photographic production, the agendas were published on an official Ministry channel.
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